Salt and Silver Bullets
by aLadyofAtlantis
Summary: Caroline Forbes and Dean Winchester are both looking for a change. When their need for a change of scenery brings them both to New Orleans, they discover that there is a lot of the supernatural world that they know nothing about. Post TVD, Pre Supernatural. With Elena, Stefan, Damon, Klaus, Rebekah, Elijah, John, Sam. Rated T for language and to be safe.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own Supernatural, The Vampire Diaries, or any of the characters, unfortunately.**

**Author's Note: I do not use a beta, so please excuse any grammatical and spelling mistakes. **

**As always, this is in the name of recreation, so I appreciate anyone who takes the time to read this, and I appreciate reviewers even more. Enjoy!**

The mirror reflected her blonde hair, pale skin, and even paler eyebrows. The skin that every morning she dusted light bronzer on, the eyebrows that every morning she lined with a light brown pencil. And she was tired. Tired of the same routine every morning, of the ugly ring around her left index finger, of the blood she drank from the bags in her cooler.

It was seven years since Caroline had become a vampire, six since she had graduated from high school. Like Elena and Matt, she had gone to college, graduating with a major that she knew she hardly would ever use. Unlike Elena and Matt, however, she hadn't moved on with her life. While Matt had moved away and gotten a job and Elena had gone globe-trotting with the Salvatore brothers, Caroline had remained in Mystic Falls, stuck at the age of seventeen.

But Caroline didn't have to stay in Mystic Falls. Klaus, long ago, had invited her to visit him in New Orleans, as he appeared on her doorstep and bid her goodbye. She had forever and a day. And maybe it was time to take forever around the world.

()()()()()

Dean groaned as he ran a hand through his hair and looked at his reflection in the mirror of the motel room that didn't belong to him. His hair was still damp from his shower that had washed away the literal blood on his hands. His stubble, shaved only moments ago, was already coming back. And he was tired of this life. The life of a hunter. Solving supernatural mysteries, killed creatures determined to bring on hell. He knew Sammy had been tired too- that's why he had left for college. And while Dean secretly envied his brother, he could never admit that for once, he wanted to stop this lifestyle.

It was twenty-two years since his mother had been murdered, killed, by some wretched creature. Some wretched creature he had never found. Maybe it was time to take a break. He couldn't contemplate leaving the family business forever, but a break would certainly be appreciated.

Dean didn't really have a home now. So what was keeping him in Kansas? Florida, with its warm weather and beautiful girls on the beach, sounded like an excellent place to take a vacation. Deep down, Dean knew that wherever he went, monsters followed. He wouldn't be in Florida long before supernatural presences made themselves known.

()()()()()

Virginia, this time of year, was just starting to cool down. The trees were just beginning to change color, and the air was growing cold. Caroline pulled her navy cashmere scarf over her nose, shivering from the cold. Although her cream knit sweater tunic and black wool trench coat were plenty warm, her black leggings were not exactly the best idea. Her black heeled boots were also not smart, as it had rained the night before, and the road to the Sheriff's office was slick.

"Good morning, Caroline. Here to see your mother?" Caroline nodded in response to the Deputy Sheriff as he passed by.

"I'll let her know."

"Thanks."

Caroline didn't bother to sit down in the leather chairs of the lobby, instead pacing in a small line, back and forth.

"Caroline? She'll see you now." The Deputy opened the door for her, and she smiled in appreciation.

"I'm really busy, Caroline, you can have five minutes." Sheriff Liz Forbes didn't even look up at her daughter's entrance, scribbling away at a thick stack of paperwork.

Caroline sat down and watched her mother make her way through two more packets of paper in a matter of moments. She wasn't really sure how to tell her mother her plans, so she sat and watched her mother scratch away.

After a few more packets, the Sheriff finally looked up, an expectant look on her face. "Caroline? You wanted to talk?"

Caroline had to shake her head a little to clear it, to remember why she was here. After realizing, she sat up straighter and clasped her hands primly in her lap.

Not knowing the best way to break it to her mother gently, she spit it out. "I'm leaving, Mom. I'm moving out."

Liz barely blinked. "Great, Caroline. Have you got a place?"

Caroline tilted her head so that one eye was farther away from her mom than the other. "Do you understand what I'm saying?"

The Sheriff shrugged. "Yes, you're moving out. You're growing up. That's what people do. You went away to college, now you're moving out for good."

"Mom. I'm not just leaving our house. I'm leaving Mystic Falls."

()()()()()

"Morning, Dad."

John Winchester barely gave his son a grunt, more concentrated on the pictures and papers in front of him.

Dean rolled his eyes at his father's frame, bent over, taking inventory of his precious weapons. He grabbed the whistling coffeepot and a mug, dumping the last dregs into his mug. He swigged the entire contents, only to regret it later, as the coffee was burnt, something only his father managed to do.

"Jericho looks like our next stop, Dean. Something strange is going on there. Something about that bridge." John didn't look up, still pawing through the newspaper clippings and pictures of people likely victims of supernatural events.

"Dad." Dean hesitated. He had been in the business so long; he didn't know how to tell his dad he wanted out. Well, not out really, just a break. "I've been meaning to talk to you about that."

"Oh?" John Winchester faced his elder son. "What do you think? A vengeful spirit, or a wraith? Or something else?"

Dean furrowed his brow for a moment, confused, before sighing and shaking his head. "No, Dad, that's not what I meant."

"Yeah, I didn't think so either. It just doesn't add up." John went back to his papers, squinting.

Dean ran a hand through his hair, exasperated. He opened his mouth to speak, before biting his lip and rethinking what he was going to say. "Dad?"

His father didn't even grunt this time, not so much as a flinch to acknowledge his son.

Dean tried again. "Dad!"

Still nothing.

"Dad! I'm leaving. I'm going. I'm out." He said that quite loudly, only to bite his lip as soon as the words left his mouth.

This time, John faced him, eyes reproachfully scanning his body. "Humph."

"What?" Dean raised his right eyebrow so high it was in danger of mating with his hairline. He certainly was not expecting a grunt from his Dad. When Sam had left for college, the scene had been much more pronounced.

John Winchester said nothing, his gaze becoming more and more distant, as if he had already forgotten his son and was moving on to the case again.

"Dad, it's just a break. I think I'm just going to sit this one out. I'll catch up with you in a few weeks, though, okay?" Dean said those words cautiously, almost afraid his father couldn't take both his sons abandoning him.

"Dad?" Dean was becoming steadily more concerned as his father refused to say anything.

After a few moments, John shook his head and released a long breath of air. "I get it Dean. I've forced you and Sam into this. I knew it was going to happen sooner or later."

"Now wait a second Dad, I'm not running away to college. Just taking a break for a few weeks." Dean shifted his weight forward to enunciated his words.

John Winchester laughed, a laugh that was so out of character that Dean took a step back, utterly confused by his father's behavior.

"How do I know that, Dean? Sam went to college and met a nice girl. He'll settle down and forget the salt and silver bullets. You'll go take a break, meet a girl, marry her, divorce her, marry another one, settle down, and never think of holy water or pentagrams again. But that's okay Dean, you know that? Because I'm fighting for my wife, your mother. I'm fighting to kill the bastard that killed her. It's not your problem. Hell, you probably don't even remember her. It's much safer for you to move on, and I want you to be safe. So go. Go take a break. Find a place to settle down. But promise me, Dean, that you won't forget the salt and silver bullets. Because even if you try to forget the supernatural, it will never forget you."

Dean Winchester wanted to laugh and cry and scream. He wanted to tell his father that he remembered his mother, every day, and wanted to avenge her every day. He wanted to tell his father he would never forget the salt and silver bullets, the holy water and pentagrams. He wanted to tell his father that he would never forget the supernatural. But he realized this was his father's way of saying that he loved him, and he would take it as such. So he only sighed and nodded, thinking of all the things he would never, ever, forget.

()()()()()


	2. Chapter 2

Her mother had taken it fairly well, Caroline mused, for just learning that her vampire daughter planned to travel to a supernatural infested city to visit an original vampire who had wreaked tremendous havoc on Mystic Falls.

Put that way, it did sound a bit strange, but Klaus was a vampire, and so was she, and they killed people. There was no way around it. Sure, some vampires like her and Elena were in more control than others, but they all had blood on their hands, and she wasn't going to hold a grudge against Klaus when he was so clearly trying to reform his ways by keeping the crazy supernaturals of New Orleans in line.

Reflecting on Klaus had meant Caroline's body had carried her where it had pleased, and as she shook herself out of her thoughts, she realized she was standing right in front of the Gilbert house.

The house was still quaint, ordinary looking, which was so strange considering all the evil and blood that had revolved around Elena and her family. So strange, in fact, that Caroline laughed.

Moments later, a blurred figure rushed Caroline, knocking her down to the grass outside the Gilbert house. Without thinking, Caroline flipped her opponent over onto her back and pinned their arms down with her knees, hands around their throat.

"Care- it's me!" Elena Gilbert choked from under Caroline's stronghold. Horrified, Caroline leapt to her feet, pulling the younger vampire up.

"Elena! I'm so, so sorry!" Caroline reverted to her nervous state, where she rambled and apologized before Elena grinned and told her to stop.

"I've missed you so much!" Caroline enfolded her friend in an embrace, before pulling back. "But I thought you were traveling the world with the Salvatore brothers?"

"Hello, Barbie. We thought we heard you laugh." Caroline whirled to see Damon Salvatore walking down the sidewalk with a smirk on his face, Stefan following close behind. Stefan waved at her, a rare smile on his face, and Caroline was glad to see some of her best friends in the entire world so happy.

"Clearly, we're back." Elena smiled at Caroline, before her eyes looked at her feet and her smile melted away. Caroline knew what was coming, but still the pangs of hurt came. "Listen, Care, we just heard about Tyler." The tears were already wetting Caroline's eyes. "I'm so sorry." Elena pulled Caroline into a tight hug, and held her for a long time.

Caroline pulled away to wipe her eyes before taking a deep breath. "It's been two years, Caroline Forbes. You will not cry."

"That's the spirit, Blondie. Good pep talk." Damon sounded at least a little sensitive, but not much.

Caroline shot him an obligatory death stare, but she didn't feel much into it. Damon was right. It had been two years, and she didn't need to be so mopey over Tyler's death. Not so many years ago, she would have never believed she could agree with the older Salvatore, but she had long since made amends with him after breaking through his snarky shell and getting to know his more vulnerable interior.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Stefan, as always, sounded concerned as he patted her back.

"Naw." Damon cut in before Caroline could respond. "She wants to have a drink. She hasn't seen us in over two years! What do you say we head over to the Grill for old time's sake?"

Caroline eyed Damon for a moment before giving him a small smile. She appreciated that he read her so easily, that she didn't want to talk about it yet. It had been two years, but it still felt so real. Not talking about it meant she could pretend he was still in the mountains, recruiting new werewolves who had no idea what they were.

"Yeah, I do. I do want to have a drink." Caroline plastered a much happier and almost real smile onto her face, before linking arms with Elena and striding off in the direction of the Grill.

()()()()()

"I'll have a slice of seasonal fruit pie and a cup of black coffee please." Dean folded the small menu of the diner before handing it to the very pretty, black-haired waitress.

"Will that be all?" The waitress had a brilliant smile, white teeth and full, red lips.

"Yes, thank you." Dean paused. "Unless…" He trailed off, leaning closer to the waitress and giving her his signature full-lipped right-eyebrow-raised glance. "…you're on the menu." He winked, before sitting back into his seat with the most smoldering gaze he could muster at this time of the morning.

The waitress curved those red, red lips into an adorable half-smile, before giggling a little bit. "I'll be right back with your order." She winked back at him, holding his gaze as she turned until she walked away.

Dean watched her walk away, admiring her behind in the diner outfit, a white polo, black mini-skirt, and red apron. His concentration was only broken when she moved out of his line of sight and he instead was gazing wistfully at someone's grandpa.

Dean had been driving all night, desperate to make it to Florida by the afternoon. However, at five in the morning, he was tired, and was considering hankering down in a bed&breakfast right here, right outside of New Orleans. But first, before he decided where he should go, he needed to wake up with a slice of pie.

"Here you go, darling." The waitress placed what looked like marionberry pie and coffee in front of him. She grinned at him again before leaning close. "I'm done in half-an-hour, if you'd like to wait." She winked again before turning to walk away.

"Wait." Dean caught her wrist, and she turned, one eyebrow raised in a playful expression. "Do you know where the cheapest, nearest, motel or b&b is?"

The waitress looked a little unimpressed, but answered him anyways. "You're gonna have to go in New Orleans to get a good one, darling, there isn't much out here. And what there is isn't good."

"Thanks." Dean released her wrist, deep in thought as he spooned bits of delicious pie into his mouth. New Orleans was a dangerous place for those who were aware of the supernatural. That place was crawling with witches, ghouls, vampires, everything. But how bad could it be, if he just took a few hours rest there? If he ran into anything, he'd just kill it. He had his vamptonite, his dead man's blood, and of course, his salt and silver bullets. With a little sleep, he could take on anything.

Finishing his last drops of coffee and last spoon of pie, Dean dropped a twenty on the table and walked out, completely forgetting the waitress. He was much more concerned with his mental inventory, taking into account what he had stored in the back of his '67 Impala. Climbing into the front seat and starting the purr of the engine, Dean Winchester grinned a full on grin, for once feeling like he could take on anything, both natural and supernatural.

()()()()()


	3. Chapter 3

"Only three shots, Elena? That's all you're going to do?" Caroline was almost drunk, something she hadn't been since being human, but it helped. It took the edge off. It took the pain away. And best of all, it took away the bloodlust she felt for the mortals surrounding her in the Grill.

Elena grinned, and quickly downed two more. "Now I'm done." She said, flipping her hair over her shoulder. "Someone's got to keep a clear head."

"Relax, Elena. None of us are driving home." Damon sauntered over, lazily dancing, perhaps the most drunk of any one. "Live it up a little." He turned to Caroline, eye lids drooping in his stupor. "This is nothing like some very fine, very aged wine we had in Italy. As I remember, Elena had an entire bottle of that!" He grabbed her then, sweeping her into a dip at vamp speed. Elena giggled, before flipping herself back to standing at vamp speed.

Caroline watched them, alternating between drunkenly dancing and vamping into positions only vampires could accomplish safely. She missed having someone like that, someone she could be herself with.

"You miss Tyler." Stefan Salvatore managed to make the blonde vampire flinch, as he breathed into her ear from behind her.

Caroline whirled around. "Well, yes, obviously." She rolled her eyes. The purpose of tonight was to forget about the past, not stir up feelings about it.

"Salt?" Stefan offered her a shaker and a new shot glass. Caroline smiled. This was the Stefan she liked, the fun one. The broody one had his moments, and he was a good listener, but the fun one- that was what she needed now.

"Yes, please, Mr. Salvatore." She licked her index finger, shaking salt a strip of salt onto it, before swigging the glass and chasing it with the salt.

Stefan watched her movements before copying her and turning his mouth into smirk that generally only his brother ever did. "Dance with me, Miss Forbes." He offered her a hand.

Caroline cocked an eyebrow and drunkenly followed him out into the open space of the Grill. "It would be my pleasure, Mr. Salvatore."

Caroline and Stefan swayed to the music, too drunk, (or perhaps not drunk enough) to echo Damon and Elena's much more sporadic and crazy movements that were quickly clearing an area around them. After the pair had calmed down about, Stefan cut in and left Caroline to dance with Damon.

"So, Blondie, what are you going to do now? We've seen the world, but you've been holed up in your house like a mama's boy." Damon licked his lips, where Caroline could see faint remains of blood.

"Damon, who have you been drinking from?" Caroline hissed, her drunken haze clearing at the prospect of the careless vampire hurting someone.

"Relax, Caroline. It was just Elena." Caroline was slightly less concerned at his announcement, but she was still worried about him feeding in public. He was bound to get caught. Then she thought of another aspect- how blood sharing was very, very intimate between vampires. "I thought you three were in an understanding relationship. Does Stefan like your bloodsharing?"

Damon gave his trademark smirk. "We are. See for yourself." He nodded a lazy head towards where Elena and Stefan were dancing. Stefan appeared, from this distance, to be kissing Elena's neck, but Caroline could guess differently. Although she had never been able to bloodshare with Tyler because of his werewolf venom, she found the whole act… degrading. But Elena was her friend, and she wasn't going to judge. She had made that mistake too many times in the past.

"You didn't answer my questions, Barbie. What are you going to do now?" Caroline knew exactly what she was going to do, but she didn't exactly want to tell him her plans. Biting her lip, she said it, hoping he wouldn't think twice about it. "I'm thinking of taking a short trip to New Orleans. Leaving tomorrow, actually."

However, Damon was sharp, and he picked up on her light voice that seemed to imply there was no hidden meaning. "Hang on, isn't Klaus in New Orleans?" His smirk spoke volumes, but he didn't stop there. "Going to have some hot hybrid sex?"

Caroline rolled her eyes. "No. I just… I guess I just needed a change of pace." She shrugged. "Klaus invited me a few years ago, I thought I'd take him up on the offer."

"What did he offer? To make you his little blonde vampire?" Damon started to stumble, so Caroline carried him off the dance floor, sighing in exasperation.

"No, he offered to take me traveling. Go to Europe. Show me the world." Her voice began to grow a wistful quality that she couldn't hide.

Damon shook some salt onto his finger. "More like show you his bedroom." He reached for a shot glass on the counter, but Caroline vamped it out of his hand before he could take it down. "That's enough for you tonight, Mr. Tall, Dark, and Drunk."

"We'll go with you, Care." Elena and Stefan had shown up behind the two of them, only this time Caroline was not jolted. She figured they had been listening to her conversation with Damon.

"What?" Caroline, however, wasn't expecting this. "You want to go to New Orleans and see Klaus, who tried to kill you several times?"

Elena shrugged and Stefan frowned, but it was more of a playful frown than a sad one. "Why not? He and I used to be good friends before he compelled me to forget."

"Look Caroline," Elena stroked her friend's arm gently. "Klaus may or may not have feelings for you, but he is still Klaus. We won't let you face him alone."

"New Orleans is also a magnet for the supernatural. Trust me, it doesn't hurt to have people who have your back with you." Stefan's voice was soothing, and Caroline thought about how much more fun it would be to have company on the road.

"Okay. Alright." Caroline's voice grew firmer as her decision solidified. "Come with me to New Orleans. We'll leave tomorrow."

()()()()()

"And what name should I put the room under, sir?"

Dean furrowed his brow as he tried to remember the name of the most recent innocent he'd borrowed an identity and credit card from. "Jack. Jack Anderson." He reached into his back pocket, pulling out his wallet and leafing thrgouh it to grab a shiny card. "Here."

The man at the front desk of the motel took the card, running it through the system before returning it to Dean. "Here you go, Mr. Anderson. Room 142. Enjoy your stay."

Dean accepted the card and grabbed his duffle bag, about to leave, when he thought better of it and faced the man again. He had planned to just stay the morning and then head off to Florida, but driving into New Orleans, he had changed his mind. Now that he was in New Orleans, he wantede the full experience, if only for a day or two.

"Do you know of a good, old-fashioned jazz club nearby?"

The man at the desk had gone back to his work, but at Dean's words he looked up curiously, and eyed Dean's clothing. "Are you looking for something more tourist-oriented, or," he paused, before leaning closer to Dean "Something more underground?"

Dean eyed the man before responding. "Underground."

The man continued to look at him sideways, before taking a deep breath and speaking in a whisper, "On Denim street, there is a place, it doesn't look like much, called 'Twenty'. The password this week is 'Silver Bullets'." Hearing Dean's audible intake of breath, the man explained, "The passwords are based on the supernatural tales that supposedly surround New Orleans. You know the myth that silver bullets harm almost everything supernatural?"

Dean nodded, drawing his head back, careful to not look too interested. Oh, he knew about silver bullets, he knew all too well.

After thanking the man at the desk and dropping his single duffel bag in his room, Dean walked back out to the Impala, flipped open the secret compartment of the trunk and pulling out a silver pistol and an extra machine of silver bullets. The password only made him want to be more cautious than ever, as he knew all the things that could be looking out there.

It took him a while to find Denim street, as it wasn't labelled except for a small stone with an engraving. Finding Twenty, after that, was comparatively easy.

The club looked almost as he had expected- solemn and old. The brown paint was peeling to reveal paler brown wood underneath, and the neon sign proclaiming it's name was so faded it was almost unreadable. A single saxophone player played a blues variation on the stoop, his hat upside down on the ground, and two men in heavy jackets smoked cigarettes to the right.

Dean dropped a five and a few ones into the hat, and when the saxophone player looked up expectantly, Dean realized this must be the man looking for the password. "Silver Bullets," he whispered, almost inaudibly, and the musician nodded once before returning to his music.

Inside, however, was an entirely different story. The inside was enonormous, and what looked very high class, at least to Dean Winchester, the boy who hadn't seen much nicer than a two-star hotel. A wooden dance floor was framed on one side by a stage, another side by a bar with glass countertops, and two other sides with tables of glass surrounded by plush leather couches.

A five man band was banging out a high energy swinging jazz piece, the bassist shaking his body to the beat of the very loud drums, and the trumpeter had his cheeks puffed out like a classic Louis Armstrong. People of all different classes and appearances were dancing on the floor, laughing and generally having a good time under the warm yellow lights. The swinging inside was so great a contrast to the gloomy outside, that it took Dean a few minutes to take it all in.

And the people. They were the heart of it. Dean had thought they would have worn leather jackets and biker boots like his, typical bar wear, but no. There were men dressed like him, but there were also men in suits, women in tight-fitting dresses, women in wintage, men in vintage, women in short-shorts, men in khakis and button-downs. Any style you could think of was there.

But as always, Dean was drawn to the pretty woman. Particularly a slender blonde observing the dance floor like she was looking for prey by the bar. Dean Winchester, never one to pass on a pretty woman, made his way towards her, taking in her wavy ringlets, piercing blue-green eyes, and tight fitting black peplum dress.

"Hello, pretty lady, can I buy you a drink?"

"For the last time—" The blonde whipped around with a vicious expression on her face, but she paused when she saw him. "Actually, yes." Her voice had a hint of an accent, something European, Dean thought.

Dean silently called the bartender over and ordered a repeat of the Manhattan in front of the woman, and a beer for himself. She observed him carefully, and Dean observed her as well, but e was a lot less obvious about doing so.

"So, you thought I was someone else?" Dean nursed his beer, wanting to draw the interaction out as long as possible before they ended up in bed together.

"I apologize for that. Men tonight don't seem to understand the word 'no'." The woman eyed him still, her gaze burning into his chest, where his tight muscles were apparent even under his henley shirt.

"Hey, I understand. We can be assholes." Dean cracked a small smile, one that the woman only barely returned, with a tilt of her head.

"Yes, you can." She paused. "But not all of you." She continued to watch him to the point that he was growing uncomfortable.

"I bought you a drink, can I at least get your name?" Dean was beginning to feel nervous around this blonde, something he had never felt around a human woman before. Alarm bells began blaring in his head.

"How rude of me. Yes, of course." She leaned closer to him, lips parting the slightest amount, her name coming out in one breath. "Rebekah. Rebekah Mikaelson."

()()()()()


	4. Chapter 4

"And whose brilliant idea was it to go to New Orleans?" Damon Salvatore drawled, not bothering to help any of the vampires around him load the car.

"Damon, you aren't getting out of this. No matter how drunk you were last night." Elena said those words in her most big-sister voice, hefting a suitcase into the E350 4MATIC Mercedes-Benz Wagon.

"But New Orleans? That place is crawling with the supernatural!" Damon's face was screwed up into the most confused face Caroline had never seen.

"Exactly why we're going. To keep Caroline safe." Stefan helped Elena dump a cooler that Caroline knew to be filled with blood bags into the massive trunk.

"Well, why is Barbie even going?" Damon leaned against the car, eying Caroline as she took inventory of all their bags.

"Damon Salvatore." Caroline whipped around, clipboard in hand, pencil poised dangerously over his heart. "We discussed this in detail last night, and I will not go over it again because you were too drunk to remember!"

Damon looked pointedly at the pencil near his chest. "Okay, okay Blondie. No need to go all homicidal."

Caroline raised in eyebrow in disbelief, but said nothing, returning to her checklist. "Okay, Stefan, Elena, go through the list with me."

Stefan loaded the last cooler into the trunk. "Shoot."

Caroline walked to the front. "Paper Bags: Food, Quantity: Two."

"Suitcases: Damon, Quantity: two, one duffle, one rolling." Elena called from her position near the back row. "Suitcases: Stefan, Quantity: three, one duffle, one rolling, one small bag."

"What's in the small bag, Stefan? Hair products?" Damon snarked from the hood.

Stefan only rolled his eyes before calling out the bags from the trunk. "Suitcases: Elena, Quantity: three, one large rolling, one small rolling, one duffle. Suitcases: Caroline, Quantity: five, two large rolling, one small rolling, one duffle, one small bag. Cooler: blood, Quantity: two."

"And I've got my purse, and you've got yours, Caroline." Elena said.

"Excellent." Caroline nodded in approval. "That's everything."

"Hey Barbie vampire, why do you need so many suitcases?"

Caroline didn't look at Damon directly, only answering him as she slipped into the back seat next to Elena. "I might want to stay longer that you guys, hang around a bit."

Damon raised an eyebrow. "Oh, hanging out with Klaus, are we?"

Caroline only rolled her eyes. They had been through it last night and she wasn't going to do it again.

"Fine, Blondie, don't answer me. But if I'm going to New Orleans, I'm driving." Damon swung open the driver's door, but Stefan vamped by him, grabbing the keys and sliding into the seat. "Sorry brother, but if you were too drunk to remember last night, you are too drunk to drive."

Damon snarled, but vamped around to the passenger side and menacingly leaned over Stefan. "Just drive, brother, drive."

Stefan didn't hesitate, revving the engine before speeding the Mercedes Wagon down the Gilbert house driveway and heading towards the edge of town.

()()()()()

"You haven't given me your name." Rebekah Mikaelson, the beautiful woman that Dean was beginning to suspect was supernatural, leaned closer to him, her breath sweet, and strangely metallic.

"Dean Winchester." As soon as Dean revealed his name, he mentally slapped himself. If this woman was supernatural, it wasn't too unlikely that she had heard of him.

"What a sexy name. It oozes manliness." Rebekah drew back to scan him again. "And I suppose you drive a muscle car? A mustang, perhaps?"

"A '67 Impala, actually." Again, Dean said something he wished he hadn't. This made him more convinced than ever that she was not human, as he couldn't seem to control what came out of his mouth.

"Would you like to show it to me?" Rebekah's voice was innocent and sweet, but Dean was positive it concealed a much more sinister persona.

All of Dean screamed 'No', to tell her that and stalk off, but he couldn't control himself. "Yes, I'd love to. Shall we?" And he dropped a bill to cover the drinks and offered her his leather jacket.

Rebekah smiled, a smile almost genuine that Dean wondered if the only way people treated her well was when she made them. He felt sad for her, but only for a moment, until he remembered he had the silver pistol and bullets. So he motioned her to walk in front of him and she did not disappoint. For a supernatural creature, she sure had a nice body.

Still keeping behind the woman, Dean directed her to his car, which was parked in a nearby lot, almost vacant, perfect for taking her down.

"What are you?" Dean drew the pistol and aimed it at her back.

Rebekah turned around slowly, in the process letting Dean's leather jacket slide from her shoulders. "Are we going to do this the hard way, Dean?"

"What are you? Answer me!" Dean was only five feet away from her, so he backed up slowly, giving himself more room to maneuver if necessary.

Rebekah sighed, loud and long. "And I thought this would be so easy. Just snatch, eat and erase." She walked towards him slowly, as if enjoying his terror.

Dean didn't hesitate any longer. The silver bullets would slow her down enough for him to get to the Impala. And so he shot. One, two, three, four times, in the chest.

But she kept walking towards him, still slowly, as if the bullets hadn't even touched her. But Dean could see the blood, oozing from her wounds.

"Silly mortal. I am an Original! Do you think silver bullets will hurt me, or even slow me down?"

"An Original what?" Dean shot his pistol until he had no more bullets left, but they didn't seem to bother her in the slightest. But when he reached for his back-up magazine, she suddenly appeared in front of him and sent both the magazine and pistol flying.

Within moments, Dean was backed against his car, her hands around his neck. "You're so pretty, and this could have been so easy. I don't usually kill anyone. Redemption stuff, you know."

Dean tried to speak, and reach for something, but to no avail. Still wondering what creature she was, he got his answer as the veins surrounding her eyes bulged, her eyes turned black, and fangs protruded from her gums.

"Vampire." He whispered as Rebekah smiled and nodded before inserting her fangs into his neck.

()()()()()


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note: First of all, thank you to all my lovely readers! Extra-special thanks and virtual apple pies to my one reviewer, foreverandmore- I really appreciate your kind words.**

**On a different subject, this chapter is entirely Caroline-focused. It was just too long to add the next Dean section, sorry! (I'll get it up soon.)**

**As always, enjoy!**

It hadn't been easy to find Denim street. Long ago, Klaus had told Caroline that if she wanted to find him in New Orleans, she should start by going to Twenty. He had given her rough directions, but they weren't very helpful in the darker and less traveled areas of town.

Pulling into a nearly vacant lot, Stefan turned down the lights and swiveled around in his seat. "Remember, New Orleans is a supernatural melting pot, full of vampires, werewolves, witches, and other things we don't know how to deal with. So the safest thing to do is act human and keep our vampirism under wraps. If they recognize us as vampires, they'll get territorial and make trouble for us. So everyone, don't be careless, okay?" With his last few words, Stefan looked pointedly at his brother.

"Hey, I've been at this longer than Barbie and Elena. I know what I'm doing." Damon raised his hands in surrender.

Sure that everyone understood, or at least partially, Stefan continued driving into the lot, pulling into a spot only a few slots away from a kissing couple.

However, as soon as Caroline stepped out of the car, she knew the couple wasn't kissing. She could smell the blood. The others did too, but while Caroline and Stefan only eyed each other, Elena rushed the figure feeding.

"Elena." Damon warned, barely a whisper, but Elena continued and pulled the vampire away from the person it was feeding on.

"Rebekah!" Elena's fangs returned to her gums as she recognized the vampire. "Elena!" Rebekah's voice filled with surprise.

Meanwhile, the person Rebekah had been feeding on slumped to the ground, and Caroline vamped over, catching the man and lowering him gently to the ground.

"Oh, no, not Barbie Klaus." Damon moaned.

Stefan pulled his brother over to Elena and Rebekah, who were hugging and chatting. Caroline was first surprised by the friendliness between the two, but then she remembered how after searching for the cure and Silas, Elena and Rebekah's relationship had healed and the two had become much closer.

"Hello, Rebekah. It's been a while." Stefan looked at Rebekah in that broody-shy way of his, and she gave him a full grin, albeit covered in blood.

"Hello Rebekah, how nice to see you, now can someone help me with this man bleeding to death?" Caroline said from the ground. The man's eyes had closed, and he was pale- too pale. He had lost a lot of blood, but Caroline wasn't sure if it was enough that she should give him some of hers.

Stefan, however, seemed to think otherwise. He bit his wrist and was about to press it to the man's mouth, when Rebekah grabbed his arm. "Wait."

The other four vampires looked at her expectantly, Caroline perhaps more irritated and impatient than the others.

"He knew what I was." Rebekah paused to look at all of them. "Before I even gave anything away. He knows supernatural creatures. I was just going to feed and erase, but he knows about vampires."

"I don't care!" Caroline sounded desperate, and she wasted no time, biting her own wrist and pressing it to the man's lips, faster than Rebekah or any of the others could stop her. Caroline hadn't killed anyone from feeding since her first feed, and she wasn't going to let another man die because she was indecisive.

Rebekah looked murderous at her decision, so Caroline tried to appease her. "We'll just compel him to forget when he wakes up, okay? He'll forget you, so if you see him again, just be careful not to reveal yourself as a vampire." Rebekah looked a little less murderous. "Only if you let me compel him." Caroline nodded in agreement.

The five vampires watched silently as the man's neck wounds healed, and Elena fetched wet napkins from the car to clean both the man and Rebekah up.

"So I suppose you're here to see Klaus?" Rebekah sighed. "He's inside, the password is 'silver bullets'."

"Aren't you going to come in?" Elena gently touched her friend's arm.

"Not like this!" Rebekah motioned to her dress, covered in bloodstains from her bullet wounds. "I'll see you all when you come home- Klaus and I have a nice mansion I'm sure he'll ask you all to stay in." She waved, before crossing the parking lot to climb into a blood red BMW 6 Convertible and speeding off.

"Come on, Damon." Elena grabbed the man's upper body and motioned for Damon to grab his legs. "We'll put him in the car, and Stefan and Caroline can find Klaus."

Damon grumbled something incomprehensible, but grabbed the man's legs anyways.

Stefan smirked at his brother before leading Caroline away from them. Caroline was concerned to leave the almost dying man in the hands of Damon, but she hoped Elena would keep him alive.

Inside, Caroline forgot all about the man Rebekah had fed on. The club was so lively, so much so that she felt out of place as an undead vampire. People were dancing in a style that she hadn't seen except in old movies. The band was playing a tune she hadn't heard in any club before. Glancing at Stefan, and his frown-less face, she realized he was a lot more comfortable in this climate that many modern-era ones.

"Is that Caroline Forbes?" Caroline whirled around to see her favorite Original vampire standing off to the side, looking dapper and classy. She wasted no time, forgetting Stefan's earlier words, and vamping right into his outstretched arms. It was only when Niklaus Mikaelson cleared his throat, that she realized she had been hugging him perhaps too long, and she stepped back.

"I'm pleased to see you too, Caroline. I must say, I didn't think you would take me up on my offer." Klaus wore a fine cut white suit, and a broad smile that suited him even better.

"You were right. I needed a change. I was tired of boring, old Mystic Falls." She hugged him tighter, breathing in his scent, a mixture of forest and fine gentleman's spray.

"Am I missing something?" Stefan stood back from the pair, confused at the ease in which they addressed each other.

Klaus smirked, a knowing smile, one that Caroline missed because her head was burrowed in his chest. "We, ahem, made amends." Klaus provided no further explanation, so Caroline finally stepped away from him to answer Stefan.

"When Tyler…" Caroline had to take a deep breath, but there was no getting around it. "When he was killed, Klaus came to the funeral. At first, I was really nasty to him, but," She paused, looking sheepish, remembering how mean exactly she had been. "He was so wonderful, so caring, so helpful. He helped me take out who did it."

"That's what I do best, love." Klaus looked at Caroline tenderly, but Stefan noticed it lacked the passionate love it had once held when his eyes turned on her. Now, the love his eyes betrayed was warmer, more… sibling-like.

"And then, we just spent time together." Caroline went on, "And I realized there was a lot about Klaus that had changed. He kept his killing to a minimum, for me, and I in turn gave him a chance." She looked as though she was going to say something else, but she stopped, instead folding her hands together nervously.

"Right, love." Klaus pulled his gaze from Caroline and instead eyed Stefan. "So, I'm guessing you didn't get the girl, then? If you're spending your free time hanging out with Original vampires?"

Stefan and Caroline exchanged a glance, before Stefan raised an eyebrow and responded. "Actually, I did."

"Ooh, Damon couldn't have liked that much." Klaus' mouth turned up into a calculating smile Stefan recognized all too well.

Caroline looked pained as she explained to Klaus the polyamorous relationship. But Klaus, thankfully, said nothing, only letting his eyebrows creep closer and closer to his hairline.

"And I suppose you brought Elena and Damon with you? How many rooms will that be? One for Caroline and one for you three? Or separate rooms?"

"Separate is better, if you have room." Stefan looked as though he wanted to move on from the subject.

"Three it is. Shall we?" Klaus graciously extended an arm in front of him, indicating Caroline and Stefan should go ahead.

As they walked out to the parking lot, Stefan asked Caroline the question he had been dying to ask, not bothering to lower his voice, as the Original vampire would hear it either way.

"Did something happen between you two? Klaus looks at you differently than he used to."

Caroline winced. "You noticed that?" She sighed. "Yes, we tried something, but we agreed that we were better off as friends. But I still love him, Stefan." She added, hurriedly. "Just not like the way you and Damon love Elena."

Klaus audibly snorted from behind the pair, but Caroline chose to ignore his noises, instead scanning the few cars left in the parking lot for the black 458 Ferrari Spider Klaus had driven when he had last been in Mystic Falls.

"Over here, love." Klaus beckoned Caroline in another direction, leading her over to a blood red Aston Martin DB9.

"What happened to your Ferrari?" Caroline crossed her arms. These types of cars were not cheap. "And does your whole family drive blood-colored cars?"

It was Stefan's turn to smirk at the enraged expression on Caroline's face. "I'll leave you two to sort this out. Elena, Damon and I will follow you in our car." With that, the younger Salvatore brother wandered over to the Mercedes Wagon, only stopping briefly to turn and give another lingering smirk to Klaus behind him.

"Answer me, Klaus! You can't just spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on fancy cars and houses and suits!" She looked reproachfully at the suit that she figured cost thousands.

Klaus stuck his hands into his pockets, pulling out the keys to his car, and tossing them over to her. "Just get in and drive, Caroline. I promise I'll explain."

Caroline huffed, but she couldn't turn down the opportunity to drive such a nice car. Without speaking, but making it perfectly clear in body language that she disapproved of Klaus' excessive spending, she unlocked the car and slid into the warm, leather seats.

"Alright, love, take a turn here, we're going into the nice part of town." Klaus directed Caroline. "And to answer your first question- my lovely Ferrari was, ahem, regrettably destroyed when I ran into a group of unforgiveable vampires."

"What?!" Caroline slammed on the brakes at the red light, simultaneously glaring at Klaus.

"It wasn't unnecessary killing, Caroline, I promise." Caroline relaxed a little, but she was waiting to hear why the killing was unnecessary.

"These vampires, Caroline, they weren't like us. They were different somehow. They didn't even try to drink from blood bags or animals. They were moving through the south in large groups, taking out humans. But they never killed the directly. They fed on the humans until they had drained almost every drop, but left enough blood so that the victim would bleed to death." Klaus paused, remembering the enormous amounts of bodies. "Never have I killed so many humans in such a cruel manner. Death was torturous for them, I'm sure."

Caroline smiled, but there was nothing happy to her smile. It was the kind of smile a face holds when it is sad but can't find the proper way to express itself. It was the smile her face held because she knew Klaus had killed so many people and vampires, but he had tried, really tried, to take out a group of vampires not because he wanted to, but because they were treating humans in a way even he never would.

Klaus sighed, a long breath that Caroline echoed. "To answer your second question- the only family I have left is Rebekah and Elijah, no thanks to your friends, and while Rebekah drives a red car, Elijah prefers black in color." He motioned for her to turn right at the next intersection.

Caroline obliged, pulling the Aston Martin onto a long drive, one that sprawled for almost a mile before ending in a curve in front of a large mansion. Rebekah's car was pulled off to the side in a small covered lot adjacent to the house, and a black car was obscured from view behind it. Checking to make sure Stefan had followed her; she pulled into the lot as well, into the pot Klaus directed her to.

Turning off the engine, and handing the keys to Klaus, Caroline cast her eyes down for a moment before meeting his curious gaze and speaking. "Klaus, I just wanted to let you know that I appreciate everything that you've done for me. And that I really missed you. And that there is no one I'd rather have as a friend for all eternity."

Klaus looked surprised. "Not even Stefan or Elena?"

"Not even Stefan or Elena. I used to think I could never see you as a friend, but you've changed. I've changed. And we're vampires." Caroline gave a nervous little laugh at the idea, that she couldn't sometimes fathom even now. "And we're in this together."

()()()()()


	6. Chapter 6

Before he even opened his eyes, Dean knew something was wrong. For one thing, his head was pounding and he had no recollection of what had happened. For another, the bed he was lying on had way too comfortable a mattress and sheets to be a motel.

So Dean listened carefully, for anything that could give him a hint to where he was. And he heard nothing, save a gentle breathing, almost inaudible. He concentrated on his body, the feel of his clothes, and could not feel the familiar bulge of a pistol he usually kept in his pants. So making a rash decision, he opened his eyes at the same time leaping out of the bed, arms in front of him to protect himself.

"Easy, tiger." Dean peered around his arms to see a blonde woman approaching him slowly, with her arms out in front of her. "You're safe here."

Dean slowly dropped his arms, seeing the woman unarmed. However, she could be something supernatural, but he wasn't going to assume the worst just yet.

"Klaus didn't think you'd be awake in time for breakfast, but now that you are, you can meet everyone." The woman continued, easing Dean back into a sitting position on the bed.

"Klaus?" Dean didn't recognize the name.

"Yes, Niklaus Mikaelson, Klaus for short. He's the one who owns this mansion." The woman handed him his jeans and his leather jacket from where they had been sitting on a chair by the bed.

Feeling safer, Dean allowed himself to take a closer look at his surroundings as he dressed. The room was pale in its color scheme, from the pale yellow walls to the cream rug to the pale blue sheets. The woman watching him thoughtfully was pale too, but in a much better way.

Dean's eyes traveled her body, not bothering to conceal his gaze. She had blonde hair in done in bouncy ringlets, a style he liked, and pale creamy skin. She wore a white tank top, thick black scarf, and denim jacket, as well as black denim jeans tucked into tan leather riding boots.

The denim sparked a memory in him, of a small rock engraved with the words 'Denim St.'. When he remembered that, he remembered the jazz club. 'Twenty', it was called.

"So, would you like to tell me how exactly I ended up here in your buddy Klaus' house?"

The blonde woman gave him a wide grin, entirely playful. "If you tell me your name."

Dean raised his eyebrows. "Sorry. That was rude of me. Dean. Dean Winchester." He fixed his leather jacket and extended a hand out to her. "Will you do me the honor of returning the favor?"

It didn't seem possible, but her bright smile stretched wider. "Of course. Caroline Forbes." She grasped his hand firmly, with much more strength than he expected.

Dean held her hand for a while, maybe too long, and dropped it with the clearing of his throat. "Right. So, how did I end up here, Miss Forbes? I don't remember anything since going to a club called 'Twenty'."

Caroline tilted her head to the side. "You don't have to call me Miss Forbes. But it's cute." She walked over to a chair and sat down, crossing her legs in a fashion that allowed Dean to marvel at their slimness and length.

"So, Dean, you were in pretty bad shape last night. Heavy drinker?" She cocked her eyebrow suggestively. Dean furrowed his brow. He didn't think that he had overdone it last night, so he shook his head.

Caroline frowned, as if confused, but she continued. "Well, last night, you were really drunk, and you got into a fight with some other heavy drinkers at the club. You were outnumbered, so they dragged you out into the lot, and were beating you to a pulp when a couple of my friends and I showed up. They left, and we brought you here, and I nursed you back to health." She said that last bit sarcastically; as if there was something she wasn't telling him.

"That's all?" Dean was confused as to why he had lost his recollection of the event if the circumstances were true. "Then why did I lose my memory? I've been beaten up before."

Caroline sighed and stood up, shrugging her shoulders. "Elijah says that it's something called short term memory loss, brought on by head trauma."

"Elijah?"

"Klaus' brother."

"And where's my gun? I'm certain I was carrying a silver pistol last night." Dean patted the pockets of his pants and glanced around the room, but did not see the familiar weapon.

"I don't know. Maybe the people beating you up took it." Caroline looked uncomfortable, focusing her gaze on adjusting her scarf.

Dean was still not entirely convinced she was telling the full truth, as she kept avoiding his gaze, and making nervous movements. Flat out, she was a terrible liar. But there was some truth to her story, because Dean could feel his head throbbing and his neck was lined with bruises. So he kept his mouth shut, instead swiveling his body back and forth to fill the awkward silence.

"Um, do you want to stay for breakfast? Klaus said to invite you down if you woke up." Caroline shifted nervously, nodding towards the door.

Dean nodded, hoping that if he stayed around, he could figure what exactly had happened the night before.

"This way." Caroline stepped out of the bedroom and into the hall, and Dean followed, almost stopping at what he saw.

The room bled out into a balcony, long and circular, that overlooked the foyer and led to stairs that Caroline was confidently walking down. He had to speed walk to catch up to her, feeling the soft red carpet sink beneath his feet as he went. The staircase and walls were white, except for the carpeting and gold colored accents on the hand rail.

Catching up to Caroline, he followed her into a vast room, still with white walls, red carpets covering the entire floor. But this room had a table, of dark, dark wood, long and lean, set for twelve, but only seating six.

As soon as Dean entered the room, the six seated people stood, and Dean felt oddly uncomfortable at their politeness.

"Everyone, this is Dean Winchester. The man I saved last night." Caroline said. Another blonde woman seated at the farthest end of the table snorted, and Caroline gave her a sharp look.

"Hello." Dean raised a hand and nodded to them all.

"So he woke up. Good, good, no permanent damage." A tall man about Dean's height with dark blonde hair wandered over to him from his spot at the head of the table. "I'm Niklaus Mikaelson. Pleasure to meet you." Klaus extended a hand, and Dean shook it, again surprised at the strength that the man's grip held.

"Thank you for taking me in. You have a lovely home." Dean attempted to be nearly as polite as the company he was currently keeping.

"Please, have a seat. We just started breakfast." Klaus pulled out a chair for him, and Dean smiled nervously as he sat. Once he had taken a seat, the rest of the people sat down, most of them giving him pleasant looks.

One, however, looked downright unpleased. Or as displeased as a woman could look without giving the evil eye. The blonde, sitting to Klaus' right, who didn't break her glare from Dean until he looked across from him, to where Caroline was sitting.

"This is my sister, Rebekah," Klaus gestured to the mean-looking blonde, who was quite pretty beneath her gaze. "And that is my brother Elijah." He nodded to the dark-haired man who was at the other end of the table, on Dean's left, who easily looked the most distinguished of all those seated.

"Stefan Salvatore," Klaus motioned to a broody-looking man seated a space away from Rebekah. "And his brother Damon Salvatore." Klaus motioned to the man one seat away on the right of Dean. "And their love, the glorious Elena Gilbert." Klaus looked pointedly at the dark-haired woman seated on Damon's right.

"And of course, you've met Caroline, the only one who wanted to actually get involved." Klaus smiled a broad grin, one that wasn't at all pleasant.

Caroline gave Klaus a menacing glare, one that told Dean the two of them interacted in this way quite often.

"Can we just eat, Klaus?" Caroline shook her bouncy curls, mesmerizing Dean.

"Of course, love." Klaus waved his hand, and everyone resumed eating, as if what he said was law.

The dynamic of the room concerned Dean. Although Klaus was the host, and deserved a certain amount of respect, everyone, except perhaps Elijah, seemed to be a little scared of him. Dean, more than ever, wanted to get to the bottom of the secret that this little group was hiding.

The breakfast passed fairly quietly, though the air was full of tension. Klaus and his sister seemed to be having some sort of argument, though it was mostly through their facial expressions. Elijah asked him a few polite questions, as did Elena, but Damon mostly looked at him like he was a dead animal stinking up the place.

A gentle buzz of a phone caused the entire table to seize up, Dean included. Klaus, however, smiled a wide smile, devoid of happiness, and pressed the phone to his ear.

"Hello, this better be good, I'm enjoying a nice breakfast with my family and… friends." The pause Klaus emphasized before 'friends' made Dean's spine tingle.

"Really?" Klaus sounded thoroughly interested as his smile grew and his eyebrows jumped farther up his forehead. He glanced at the table before standing and walking into the foyer, and outside.

Dean measured the reactions of those around him. Rebekah looked bored, Stefan still looked broody, Elijah looked non-plussed, and Damon was busy feeding bacon to Elena off of his fork. Caroline, however, looked concerned, and seeing as she was the easiest to read, that was all Dean needed to be sure that something more than what he was being told was at play.

()()()()()


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Note: I apologize for the absent chapter yesterday, this is the longest bit so far. Also, I think the chapters are going to start getting longer and moving along faster, because I have a lot in mind for Caroline and Dean. So bear with me, and if I am not as consistent about posting chapters, do not fear! They will be worth it.**

**On a different note, I'd like to thank all of you for reading. However, I know there are a lot of readers, but almost no reviewers! Reviewing would make my day, and also I would love to hear any ideas that you have for Dean and Caroline. Criticism is also welcome too, so review, review, review! I'm not telepathic!**

**As always, enjoy!**

"Well, that was a lovely breakfast, and I appreciate the help last night, but I'd better be going. I have to go pick up my bag from my wasted motel and checkout before leaving town." Dean Winchester stood and adjusted his jacket not long after Klaus had taken the call.

Caroline was worried. Klaus had told her last night strange things had been happening in New Orleans, stranger even than some events in Mystic Falls. In the past week, two humans had lost their short term memories before going insane, claiming that 'the safest thing to do is die' and that 'the angels are out to kill everyone'. While the words sounded typical of mad ramblings, in New Orleans, it was never too impossible that something unnatural might be at the source.

"Are you sure?" Caroline didn't want Dean to go back into New Orleans alone, what with whatever strange stuff might be happening. When Dean nodded, she stood up and rushed around to walk with him to the door. "Let me at least go with you. You might have damage that we can't really see yet." After watching him sleep through the night, she had grown attached to him, like she wanted to protect him and keep him safe.

Dean looked at her curiously, but nodded. "I can't say no to a pretty lady." He grinned, seductively, almost.

Caroline tried to echo his cheery feel, but her smile wasn't nearly as genuine. "I picked your car up from the lot last night after we brought you back here. It's waiting in the covered lot outside." She handed him the keys she had taken from his pocket the night before while opening the front door. "I'll be back soon!" She called into the dining room.

"Take your time, little Barbie. Enjoy your little human." Damon said in a voice only loud enough for Caroline to hear. She raised an eyebrow before following Dean outside to his car.

"Tell me the truth, Princess. And no crap this time. Why do you really want to go with me?" Dean said as he drove down the Mikaelson's long driveway.

"I told you, you're hurt and I'm worried about you." Caroline said in earnest.

"Crap." Dean looked at her pointedly. "Don't give me that."

Caroline sighed and pressed herself back against the seat. "Really. I'm worried about you." She wasn't going to tell him why, however.

"Fine. You want to be difficult? I can do difficult." Dean gripped the wheel of the Impala tighter. "Tell me about yourself. Are you from around here?"

Caroline felt safe about answering that question, at least. "Mystic Falls, Virginia. Pretty small place."

"Never heard of it." Dean sharply turned the Impala to the right, causing Caroline to fall into him. She glared at him, but the expression was missed as he continued to watch the road.

"And how old are you, Caroline?"

Caroline watched his profile closely, wondering why he cared. "Twenty-four." She said slowly, watching him for a reaction, but he gave none.

"And what exactly is the relationship between you all and Klaus?" Caroline shut her mouth, not sure how to explain the fear the Original inspired in her friends, and on occasion, her.

Dean let out a little chuckle. "I mean, it's almost as if any one of you were to step out of line, he'd bite your head off." He shook his head with a little grin on his face, thankfully not facing Caroline.

Caroline froze and stared straight ahead. Dean was too close to the truth. "Why do you ask so many questions, Winchester?" Her voice was cold as she faced the window, concentrating on outside.

Dean whistled. "Last name basis, huh? Did I hit a nerve?"

"Shut up, Winchester." Caroline crossed her arms and continued to watch the lively city pass her by.

Minutes passed in silence, before Dean finally let out a long breath. "Look, Caroline, I'm sorry if I said something wrong, but I just want you to know that…" He paused, and Caroline slowly turned to look at him, though her face was still screw up into a pout. "I've seen some strange things, and you can trust me, you know, if you want to tell me anything."

Caroline was careful this time to not let her face betray her, because she wished she could tell someone human. She wished she could this man, who for all of his rough exterior, seemed to genuinely want to help. But he knew about the supernatural, and that made him dangerous.

"I'm sorry, Dean. I can't." She shook her bouncy curls out into a blonde curtain around her head.

Dean said nothing more, only staring ahead in silence until they reached the motel he had been staying at. Once he parked, he looked over at Caroline, who was busy unbuckling.

"Whoa, where are you going?" Dean grabbed her arm as she opened the car door.

Caroline looked simultaneously confused and surprised. "Well, you got here okay, I think you should be fine."

"What are you planning to do, walk home? Bus home?" Dean looked incredulous. "Pretty lady like you shouldn't be taking the bus or walking all the way back to your friend's mansion. Let me drive you back."

Caroline snorted. "What would be the point in that?"

"Look, I'm going to have to go near there anyways to get out of town. I insist."

Caroline sighed. "Fine."

Dean smiled, perhaps the first truly happy smile Caroline had seen in a while. "You get back in here, Forbes. I'll grab my bag and checkout and be right back."

The blonde watched him go, waiting until he was inside to open his compartments and look for anything that might give her a clue as to what exactly he knew about supernatural creatures. But there was nothing. No papers, no weapons, just some tapes. On instinct, she headed around to the trunk, dissapointed to find only a spare tire and various car tools in the boot.

In her disappointment, she leaned forwards, supporting herself on the floor of the trunk. She was going to close it when she realized the sound that had been made. The floor was not solid. Something was underneath. Her eye caught sight of a lock, off to one side, but not knowing the code, she shut the trunk anyways.

On a whim, she lifted the back of the car in order to get a measure of what was in the false bottom. It was surprisingly heavy, heavier than a few files or items should have been.

At that moment, Dean reappeared out of the motel so she vamped back into the passenger seat of the car, thinking. Dean Winchester definitely had a secret of his own, and it wasn't a light burden to carry.

()()()()()

When Dean returned to the car, Caroline was looking awfully shifty for someone who had just been sitting in a car for five minutes. But Dean only gave her a careful glance before tossing his duffle in the backseat and sliding into the car.

Backing out of the lot, he rested his arm behind her and left it there, casually moving closer to her shoulders. Once she realized what he was doing, however, she spun her entire body to face him, a disbelieving expression on her face.

"Really, Dean Winchester? Making the worst pass ever invented on a girl that you'll only see for another ten minutes?" Caroline crossed her arms, an expression so intense on her face that Dean felt almost ashamed. Almost.

After that bit, the car ride passed in silence, Dean keeping his eyes on the road and Caroline keeping her eyes out the window. Neither of them moved until the sound of a police siren started them both.

Dean pulled over for the two police cars, and Caroline sat straighter in her seat, trying to figure out what was going on. Curious, Dean followed the cars, but he only had to turn the corner to see where the cars were going.

"What the—" Dean stopped at the sight in front of his Impala. At least six police cars were parked around a diner, guns drawn, snipers on hold. Now this was Dean's scene. Guns made him feel comfortable, not small talk with women in his car.

He pulled over into an empty parking space. "What are you doing?" Caroline exclaimed as Dean swung himself out of the car and moved around to the trunk.

Dean flipped the lid before peering around one side to face Caroline, who had gotten out of the car as well and was walking towards him. "Helping out."

"You have no idea what you're doing." Caroline crossed her arms and wrinkled her nose. "Obviously, it's dangerous- that's why there are six police cars."

Dean leaned on the false bottom of the boot, not wanting to open it in front of Caroline. She'd think he was nuts, with all the stuff he had down there. "Look, Caroline, I know what I'm doing. Just stay in the car."

Caroline didn't move, watching him closely for a second, eyes trailing his strong arms and torso. "Fine. Let me go with you."

Dean looked at her, incredulous. "Princess, this is no place for a well-dressed woman like yourself. Just stay in the car, okay?"

Caroline shook her head before walking up to him and standing so close that Dean could feel her breath on his cheek. "Listen here, Winchester. You said I could trust you. Well it's a two way street. If you want me to trust you, you've got to trust me. You have the trust that I can take care of myself."

Caroline's blue eyes alone, and the proximity of her body was enough to make Dean want to listen to her. But she was right. And maybe if he trusted her, she would trust him.

So he nodded, and figured that maybe it was time to let someone in. And so he opened the trunk.

As expected, Caroline gasped at his arsenal of weapons, but when he handed her a pistol and took one for himself, she said nothing, only allowing her face to assume a grim expression.

"Come on, Forbes." Dean nodded with his head towards the string of police cars. They approached nonchalantly, Dean walking straight up to what looked like the officer in charge.

"What's going on here?" Dean stuck his hands in his pockets, trying to look like an average citizen for the moment.

The officer turned, a little surprised. "A crazy woman's got hostages in there with a gun, claiming some angels told her to do it. Typical crazy stuff." The officer turned back to his men, and Dean watched Caroline freeze up beside him, something he was coming to recognize as a sign she knew more than she was letting on. However, he had no time to deliberate on that, as at the word 'angels' he knew this was worth looking into.

"Huh. Really." Was all he said, but he was wondering what kind of angel would cause a human to do something like this. Maybe all of them- he didn't know much about angels, or even if they existed.

The officer turned back to Dean when he saw that he hadn't left. "Sir, I'm going to have to ask you, as a civilian, to leave. We have people's lives to save."

Dean shrugged, before reaching into his jacket and pulling out a badge. "FBI, Agent Harrison."

The officer's formerly annoyed face contorted into one much more surprised and flustered. "What are you doing here, Sir? We didn't call for FBI."

"Naw, I'm just off-duty. But I think you'd better leave this situation to me." Dean shrugged, returning the badge to his pocket. He loved the one-eighty reactions he got in these situations.

"Yes, sir. Right this way, Agent Harrison." The officer lead him under the police tape roping off the diner, and Dean only took a minute to pivot and give Caroline a grin before ducking under the tape.

"I didn't know you were with the FBI." Caroline whispered to Dean, drawing up next to him.

Dean cracked a half-grin, almost a smirk. "That's because I'm not, Forbes."

Caroline looked scandalized.

Dean didn't have time to stop and reason with her. If this situation truly involved angels, he was needed. He couldn't waste time explaining to Caroline that sometimes, in his line of work, lying and cheating was necessary.

"Okay, everyone behind the police cars. I'm going in." Dean motioned for the officers to hide behind the cars.

"But sir-" The head officer said.

"No buts, officer. We're doing this my way." Dean swiveled into a crouch position behind a car himself. "No one is going to get hurt."

The officer just looked at him, a look that Dean was used to in these situations. These police officers. They always thought they knew what they were doing. He chuckled before turning to Caroline.

"Okay Forbes, you and I are going to come in from the back, as inconspicuous as possible, try to get a head on the situation. Officer," He turned back to the policeman. "You need to try to talk to the person, just talk and listen to what they have to say. Don't call them crazy, don't mention the hostages, just keep them distracted." The officer nodded, so Dean took off, Caroline following him.

When they got around to the back of the diner, Dean took out a lock pick. It only took him moments to pick the lock. Caroline was about to step forwards, but Dean stopped her. "Have you ever fired a gun before, Princess?"

Caroline nodded. "Yes." And although her face betrayed how uncomfortable she felt, Dean saw in her eyes that she would help him protect these strangers.

"Okay. Let's go. Quiet now." Dean crept forward into what appeared to be the storage unit of the kitchen. After making it to the kitchen door, he stopped, not hearing the sound of Caroline following him. With a glance behind him, he immediately became much more confident that this strange woman knew what she was doing. She had managed to keep up with him without making a sound, which was impressive to stay the least.

The hunter listened carefully before opening the kitchen door and looking around. Seeing no one, he waved Caroline into the room. He continued towards the typical double doors of the kitchen, crouching in front of one, motioning Caroline to do the same.

Slowly, he moved his head into a position so that he could see out of the wide windows. He couldn't see much from this position, other than several people lying face down on the floor, hands covering their heads. Luckily, most of them seemed to be squirming, so Dean assumed they were okay. At least until he saw the blood.

"Shit." He ducked back down. Caroline gave him a questioning stare. "There are people hurt. Blood." Caroline froze up at that, and Dean wondered why she volunteered to help if she was squeamish around blood.

"There's a bar, we need to duck down and creep by it to get a better view. Are you going to be okay?" Dean whispered to his companion. She nodded, but she looked pale.

Glancing at the hinges of the door, Dean hoped they were oiled enough to not make a sound. Crossing his fingers mentally, he gently pushed a door open and crawled through, holding it open for Caroline to follow him. He avoided a blood puddle, and crept along quietly, hoping none of the hostages would raise their heads and catch a glimpse of him.

Reaching the edge of the bar, he peeked around it before swiveling with his back against the wall, almost knocking into Caroline.

"What?" She whispered, almost a breath.

"She's just strolling around, gun out, watching the hostages." Dean bit his inner lip. "Follow my lead, okay?"

Caroline reached out to grab his arm, but he was already gone.

"Ma'am, you need to let these people go." Dean aimed his gun at the woman as Caroline echoed the motion to his left.

The woman was facing away from them, a gun in her right hand. All Dean could really see was masses of unruly blonde hair, and a fairly slim figure that was dressed in a long coat and jeans. However, when she turned around, her face betrayed that she couldn't have been much older than he was.

"And why should I do that?" The woman's voice sounded hoarse and dull, a description that accurately fit her eyes as well.

"They never did anything to hurt you." Caroline said. "Tell us why you're doing this. We can help."

The woman laughed, a bloodcurdling laugh that Dean so often heard from ghosts and people possessed. "Help me? Or find help for me? As in the psycho ward?"

Neither Dean nor Caroline answered.

"That's what I thought." The woman said, twirling the gun in her hand. "Well, I'm not crazy. Don't need no psychiatric help." She stepped closer to the pair of them. "I know what I saw."

"And what did you see?" Dean was curious to extract as much information as possible.

"I saw an angel." When the woman saw that Dean and Caroline did not speak against her words, she raised an eyebrow, but continued. "And it took my memories away. And it will do the same to everyone else. It warned me. Unless I kill them. Give them a better death."

Dean shifted his weight. On one hand, the talk sounded utterly crazy. But on the other hand- he'd seen a lot of crazy things in his life. Just not angels.

"And what did the angel look like?" Dean lowered the point of the gun just slightly.

The woman stepped closer, slowly, just barely a step. "Like pure light. I couldn't see it. My eyes were closed, it warned me to close them, otherwise I'd lose my sight. But behind my eyelids, the light was still blinding."

As the woman grew closer to Dean, he began to believe her. He could smell a strange odor, partially sulfuric, something often associated with supernatural creatures, and not humans.

Thankfully, Caroline hadn't said anything, only screwing up her face into a skeptical expression. Dean was worried that should the woman actually be insane, saying something to offend her could set her off.

"Look, I can help you. And I don't mean psychiatrically. I believe you. I've seen some strange things in my life." Dean paused. "Supernatural things." At those words, Caroline and the woman both eyed him incredulously, but Dean had no time to worry about what either of them thought about him.

The woman twirled her gun, shifting it to her other hand, her face thoughtful. "What have you seen?"

The last thing Dean wanted was to talk about this in front of Caroline, but there were people's lives at stake. "Lots of things. Ghosts, demons, angry spirits. You name it, I've probably seen it."

The woman continued to look at him sideways, shifting her gun back to her right hand. "And how did you survive?"

"I killed everything I encountered. All of it."

The woman still watched him, and a long time passed, minutes probably. Finally, she seemed to make a decision. "Fine. If you're not pulling my leg, put the gun down."

"Don't, Dean." Caroline's voice was low.

"You don't, I'll shoot." The woman aimed her gun at a man face down on the floor, only a few feet away.

"Okay, okay." Dean raised his left hand and used his right hand to crouch and drop the gun.

"You too, Blondie." The woman waved her gun in Caroline's general direction.

Dean glanced at her and gave her a reassuring smile, and although Caroline looked uncomfortable, she crouched and dropped her gun as well.

"Good. Now, tell me how I can prevent the angels from doing to these people what they did to me." The woman stepped back from the pair of them, circling another limp body on the floor.

"I don't know. I haven't come across angels before. But I'll figure something out." Dean felt vulnerable with this crazy woman and no weapon. He was never good at convincing people to listen to him.

The woman's head snapped up. "Lies. All lies. You're just a police man doing his job, talking to the crazy nut holding innocents hostage."

"No!" Dean protested, raising his arms and shaking his head.

"You have no idea what to do with this angel. So I'll have to do it myself. I'm going to save these people. They'll be free from this Earth. They'll be free from the glamour angels."

"No, please don't!" Caroline's voice was high-pitched, and she stepped forward. Dean grabbed her arm. He wouldn't let her get hurt. And in that moment that Caroline attempting to disentangle herself from Dean's grip, the woman shot. Once, twice.

And when Dean and Caroline looked in the direction of the gunshot, they saw two limp bodies, both shot straight through the head.

What happened next happened so fast. Dean stepped forward, barely a millimeter; he was going to tackle the woman. Obviously reasoning would do no good. And as he stepped, an angry expression on his face, the woman swung her arm around and fired, straight at his heart.

In that split second, Dean thought that was it, that was the end. But in the next moment, he was on the ground, and Caroline was on top of him. Stunned from falling to the ground, he could only watch as Caroline picked up his gun from the ground, and in one clean motion, swiveled to shoot the woman straight through the chest.

"Are you okay?" Caroline leaned over Dean, and Dean didn't respond for a moment as his body and mind caught up and processed what had just happened.

He blinked, looking down at his body. "Yeah. Not a scratch." He was marveling at how neither of them had been shot- he had been sure they would- when he saw the blue of Caroline's jean jacket arm stained red.

"You're hurt!" Dean jerked up, pulling off her jacket to see the wound clearly.

"I'm okay, really. Just a scratch." Caroline said, trying to pull her jacket back on.

Dean looked at the blood on his hands, then at the wound. The bullet had only grazed her, but the wound was still bleeding heavily. "No, you're not. We need to stop the blood flow."

As Caroline protested, Dean shed his flannel and leather jacket, not hesitating as he pulled off his shirt and ripping it in half. Tying half above the wound, and half around the wound, Dean helped Caroline stand.

"We better get you out of here." He led her towards the front door, away from the woman's dead body.

"Okay, everyone up! If you're hurt, get help from someone!" Dean called, swinging the front entrance open into the sunlight. When he opened the door, police officers streamed in, helping the hostages that were hurt, and those that weren't.

For someone with an arm injury, Caroline seemed very nonchalant- she strolled to the car as easily as anyone else, and wouldn't allow Dean to help her along. She wouldn't even let him carry her bloody jacket- the only thing she did allow him to do was carry both guns, claiming she never wanted to touch a gun again.

"How did you do that?" Dean called to Caroline as he opened the boot of the Impala to put the guns away.

"Do what?" The blonde said as she slipped into the passenger seat.

"You stopped me from being shot. I thought I was gone for sure."

"Just fast reflexes, I guess." Even Caroline's voice sounded like she was lying, although Dean couldn't see her. This woman was really a terrible liar.

He swung around into the front seat. "We'd better get you to the hospital."

"No, no, look." Caroline grabbed Dean's arm before peeling back the bit of his shirt around the wound. Now that the blood was wiped away, the wound looked much smaller than Dean had thought. Small enough that she was right. She didn't need the hospital.

He shrugged, although he was sure the wound had been bigger. Regardless, going to the hospital was an unnecessary plan.

He drove, continuing towards Klaus' mansion, thinking about the events that had just transpired. Two people and the woman were dead, that he knew of. He hadn't been able to save everyone. The sorrowful expression on Caroline's face betrayed the same thing.

And what had the woman meant about glamour angels? He'd never encountered an angel, and his father had never told him of such creatures even existing. His mother used to tell him bedtime stories about angels, but never once had a glamour angel been mentioned.

He had a lot to do, and he couldn't do it alone. He needed his father, he needed Sam. And maybe, just a little bit, he needed Caroline.

"What did you mean when you said you had seen supernatural things?" Caroline's voice was timid.

Dean swallowed, and long moments passed before he responded. Caroline had proved herself. Maybe it was time to trust her, let her in. People he had known less than her knew his secret.

"You're gonna think I'm crazy." He chuckled. "There are supernatural things out there, Princess. Things that go bump in the night. And you might not believe me, but you should, because I've been hunting them all my life."

Caroline said nothing, only staring down at her hands. Dean kept his eyes on the road. He couldn't bear to look into Caroline's eyes if all he would see would be disbelief.

"I believe you."

Dean was so taken aback, he had to replay her words in his head to make sure he had heard her right. "Really? You don't think I'm crazy?"

"No."

"Well, that's a first."

A long pause followed. Dean knew he should take advantage of the moment. If Caroline believed him, he should ask for her help. Any allies in this town would be an advantage. And she had already proved she could take care of herself.

"I don't normally pull people into this…" Dean trailed off and scratched the back of his neck nervously. "But, would you be willing to help me?"

Caroline didn't respond, only a simple nod, not even meeting his gaze.

Dean let out a long breath, a smile starting to grow on his face as he pulled up the driveway to Klaus' mansion. "So what do you think Forbes? Does your friend Klaus have room for another houseguest?"

Caroline faced him, tilting her head to one side as she ran her eyes over his face. "He has a million rooms he won't miss."

Dean grinned as he parked the car, the kind of smile he grinned when faced with a particularly intriguing hunt. "Good. Because I think I'm going to stay awhile."

()()()()()


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's Note: Thank you all for reading, and thank you to my lovely reviewers, and thank you especially for sticking with me as the chapters get longer and less frequent! Hopefully I'll try to be good about updating.**

**As always, enjoy!**

It had been one week since Caroline had come to New Orleans. One week since she had fed Dean her blood in the parking lot of a club Klaus and Rebekah liked to frequent. One week since she and Dean had apprehended a crazy woman. One week since Caroline had killed her.

After the events of the diner, Caroline had talked to Klaus, for what seemed like hours. Klaus was mostly angry about her getting injured to save some humans, but he was a little angry that Caroline had invited a supernatural hunter to stay in his mansion for as long as he needed to solve the angel problem.

Klaus did not like the idea of having to hide his identity from Dean. Caroline argued that Dean could help them stop the angels, something that caused Klaus to allow Dean to stay, as the effects of the angels had spread as well to his hybrids.

Klaus had a limited number of hybrids because of Elena's transition to vampire, and just before Caroline's arrival in New Orleans, something had happened to one of them, causing large amounts of his memory to be erased, and for him to go on killing rampages. He raved about angels, which Klaus ignored, but after hearing about the diner incident, he decided perhaps someone who knew about more supernatural creatures was a good person to have around.

Caroline, in turn, had revealed to the rest of the company the diner event and the nature of Dean's supernatural knowledge. At first, Dean was angry that Caroline had told everyone, but seeing that all of them readily believed him, he became at lot less hostile and more forgiving.

So since then, Dean and Caroline, with occasional help from Stefan and Elijah, had done their best to find out what they could about the angels. No similar events had transpired since the diner, but they found similar claims from crazy people dating to months before Caroline's arrival in New Orleans.

Caroline looked at Dean, watching him flipping through documents and comparing them to documents on the computer. Surely she could leave for a few minutes to have some blood and be back; Dean was so engrossed he wouldn't even notice her leaving.

Gently setting down the papers in her hands, Caroline swiveled out of the mahogany chair and started out of the parlor, sock-clad feet barely making a sound in Klaus' luxurious mansion.

"Where you going, Forbes?" Caroline spun around to look at Dean, but he was still looking at his papers, not even bothering to look up.

Caroline swallowed, more of a gulp, really. "Just, uh, getting a drink. We haven't eaten anything in hours." That was true. The last thing they had eaten was lunch, around midday, and the sky was already dark.

"Get me a beer, will you?" Dean still didn't look up.

"Uh, sure." Caroline nodded and quickly scrambled out of the room.

Normally, Caroline would have told the hunter to get his own drink- he knew where Klaus kept everything by now- but she was so desperate to not attract attention to herself that she would have agreed to anything.

The blonde vampire shivered as she descended into the basement. She was only wearing jeans and a thin sweater, not at all sufficient enough for the cold temperatures a floor below. But that was where the blood was- after all, they couldn't keep it in the refrigerator with Dean around.

"Hello, Blondie. Come to get a drink too?" Caroline rolled her eyes at the elder Salvatore brother, who was lounging against one of the large coolers and drinking from a blood bag. Within seconds, he had opened the cooler and thrown her a bag.

Caroline broke off the top and put the bag to her mouth, closing her eyes and enjoying the feeling of her bloodlust fading away. Blood wasn't particularly tasty, but the feeling of not needing blood felt just… so good.

"And how many bags have you had, Damon?" Caroline said, taking a breath from her drink. At least three empty blood bags were on the ground beside him.

"Just stocking up. Something that I've had to do a lot recently since that hunter boyfriend of yours showed up. Can't have him finding out we're what he hunts, now can we?" Damon took a long drag of blood before picking up the empty bags and dropping them in the trash can to his left.

Caroline didn't even bother to argue with the dark haired vampire. Mostly because he was right. The entire household was a lot grumpier since Dean's arrival, angry with Caroline for having to come down into the basement to drink. Except Klaus. Careless Klaus had been drinking red wine with dinner, and spiking it with blood. Caroline was paranoid that Dean would accidently drink some of the wine, but so far he seemed to prefer beer.

"See you later Barbie. Have fun with the hunter. I'm sure you'll find the angel soon." Damon breathed as he walked past her and up the stairs.

Needless to say, Damon was skeptical of the whole idea of angels existing. Although a supernatural creature himself, he was still pretty skeptic. And he wasn't the only one. Rebekah and Elena were pretty skeptical too, even if Elena didn't say it straight to Caroline's face. Klaus, however, after his whole hybrid situation, was willing to believe anything if it meant he could destroy it. Unfortunately, Caroline and Dean hadn't found anything useful yet.

Finishing her blood with a sigh, Caroline dropped the empty bag into the trash and grabbed a bottle of beer for Dean before heading back upstairs to the parlor.

"Dammit, Sammy!" Dean threw a handful of papers in the air and pounding the table just as Caroline walked in.

"What is it?"

Dean looked up at her, surprised by her entrance. He just shook his head, only standing up to take the beer.

After Dean took a long, angry swig, Caroline tried again. "Who's Sammy?"

Dean wrinkled his nose. "My goddamn smart-ass pussy of a brother."

Caroline only raised her eyebrow at his choice of words. Dean Winchester was no gentleman, she had learned.

"I just…" Dean grumbled, taking another swing in his pause. "Sam would've been so helpful right now. He's the smart one. Not me. He knows his stuff."

Caroline waited patiently, hoping Dean would tell her what was on his mind in time.

"But he had to go to fucking college. No one in our fucked-up family has time for college!" Dean said, exasperated. "Had to fight with Dad. Had to quit the goddamn family business." Dean laughed, a cruel laugh that made him sound almost as insane as the woman at the diner. "Shit, Sammy, what's so great about college, anyways?" Dean didn't seem to be talking to Caroline any longer, but she couldn't help herself.

"Not much." Caroline shrugged. She had found college terribly boring.

"Oh great." Dean looked at her incredulously, somehow managing to roll his eyes at the same time. "Princess went to college too?" He sighed, slamming the empty beer bottle on the table and sitting down next to it.

Caroline wasn't sure what to say. Most of her hoped that this Dean was angry, frustrated, drunk, Dean, who for once in his life had a supernatural couldn't solve, but another part of her suspected this was the Dean that was lying just under the surface.

"Caroline!" Caroline jumped at the angry footsteps and angry voice that hit her ears before it would have hit a human's. She turned nervously to face the parlor door, just in time to see Klaus angrily stomping in.

Klaus was wearing a dark brown leather jacket and jeans, normal attire, but his eyes screamed anger and his lips were redder than they should have been. And Caroline was frightened.

"Have you and little hunter here figured out the solution to the angel problem?" Klaus paused only for enough time for Caroline to open her mouth before continuing. "No, I don't think so. And do you know how I know?" The pause this time wasn't even long enough for Caroline to breathe, much less answer. "Because another one of my hybrids is spouting that ridiculous angel nonsense." This time Klaus was so angry when he paused that he didn't even have the words to continue. Unfortunately, Dean got nosy.

"Hang on." Dean stood up, stretching his arm in a typical 'hold-up' motion. "Hybrids? What the hell is a hybrid?"

Klaus was fuming, so Caroline tried to answer. "Klaus has some… friends. And they are… hybrids of vampire and werewolf." She said sheepishly, brow wrinkling.

"Vampire and werewolf?" Dean sighed, a loud, angry sigh, and Caroline wasn't sure which testosterone filled male was angrier in the room. "And you weren't going to tell me?"

"Look, little hunter. You don't matter. The only reason you're here is because Caroline tells me that you know something about angels. The same angels that are driving my hybrids insane." Klaus said that in his most belittling voice.

Dean's jaw clenched and he tilted his head. "I don't matter? Then I guess I'll just leave. I'm on vacation anyways. I did not ask to get involved with rich assholes and their supernatural friends." He stalked towards the door, pushing past Klaus, but the Original Vampire dragged him back into the room.

"You aren't leaving until my hybrids are back to normal." Klaus stared at him, but Caroline knew it wasn't compulsion. She'd slipped Dean vervain, and Klaus knew it.

"Klaus, stop." Caroline vamped over and pulled Dean away from Klaus, lucky Dean was facing away from her. "Dean will help. He's not useless, and he does matter. And you should treat him that way. Be helpful." Although Klaus let go of Dean, the two continued to stare daggers at each other, until Caroline was forced to break the tension again.

"Okay, Dean, what can we do about the hybrid?"

Dean finally looked away from Klaus, albeit reluctantly. "Do you have any dead man's blood? Of course you don't. It's okay; I've got some in my car." He grabbed his leather jacket from the chair and started past Klaus, who didn't stop him this time.

"Dead man's blood?" Caroline asked the question both she and Klaus were thinking as they followed Dean out into the foyer.

"Yeah. Blood of a dead person." Dean hefted the jacket on. "Basically poison to vampires. Hopefully it will work on these hybrids without killing them. Then we can figure out what's going on." He swung open the door, a very confused Caroline and Klaus following him.

For all Caroline knew, dead man's blood wasn't poisonous to her. She was sure some of the blood that she drank from blood bags was from a dead person. Looking at Klaus, she could tell he was just as confused.

Then suddenly, Klaus stopped walking. And then he vamped over to where Dean was busy unlocking the door of his car.

"Dead man's blood is poison to vampires, you say?" Klaus looked too interested, in such a way that Caroline knew to listen closely.

"Yeah, yeah." Dean opened the car door and swung in.

"And how do you kill these vampires? Stakes in the heart?" Klaus eyed Caroline across the car as Caroline walked around to the passenger side. She glared at him- he was being too obvious, but Dean just laughed.

"No, no. You have to cut off the head. I've never run into one, but my dad has. Stakes won't do any good. Just slow them down a bit." Dean revved the engine. "Are you going to get in, Lord Asshole? Or what?"

Klaus rolled his eyes at that comment but slung himself into the backseat of the Impala. "I think I might have met some of these vampires before. Vast amounts of them. Pity they were all killed. Beheaded, I think." Klaus lounged in the back as Dean reversed out of the back, and Caroline threw him a look. She knew exactly what he was getting at.

The vampires that he had massacred. He had said they were different somehow, more vile, more cruel. They couldn't drink the last drops of human blood, let them bleed to death. They were not the same as them. They were not like Klaus and her, or Elena or any of them.

"So where are we going? Where are these hybrids?" Dean paused the Impala at the end of the long driveway.

"Twenty. It's on Denim St." Klaus smiled, a deep grin, the kind Caroline only often saw on him when he was really about to enjoy something violent and sadistic.

Caroline groaned. Somehow this whole supernatural situation had managed to come full circle.

()()()()()

Dean gripped the wheels tightly as he drove, swinging the car into turns that were abrupt and rough. Caroline kept swaying back and forth next to him, bumping into both him and the car, but he didn't care.

When he had asked Caroline to help him with the angel problem, he assumed that she would trust him. She was hiding so much from him; he wasn't sure if he should believe what she said anymore.

Klaus had supernatural friends, of all things. And she hadn't told him. He felt betrayed.

But when he swiveled the Impala onto the dirt road that was Denim Street, he forgot it all. Twenty glared in front of him, and he remembered that this was where he had gotten into it with some thugs. Where Caroline had saved him. And although he didn't trust that she had told him the whole truth, he was grateful she had helped him. And maybe coming back here, he could find out what she wasn't telling him.

Without talking, parked the car in the lot and shoved the door open. Stomping around to the back of the Impala, he swung open the trunk and false bottom, not caring if Klaus saw. He already knew what Dean did.

Klaus still whistled. "Nice arsenal you have there, little hunter." Dean gritted his teeth. He was tired of Klaus' condescending tone, not just to him but all his guests. Swinging around, he pointed a pistol at Klaus' chest, who didn't even look surprised.

"Why do you talk to me like that? I'm taller than you are." Dean shoved the pistol into Klaus, who didn't even budge.

"Dean." Caroline appeared seemingly out of nowhere and grabbed his shoulder. "Leave it. That's just how Klaus is. Let's go."

Dean didn't break Klaus' gaze, but moved the pistol, and grabbed a jar of dead man's blood and a knife made from silver. "This is ain't over, you bully."

Klaus just raised an eyebrow and looked amused as Dean slammed the boot and shoved past him, Caroline following close behind.

When Dean walked up the dark and sorrowful looking joint, he paused. Last time he was here, there had been a password. It had been a week since then- it had probably changed. So he stopped, and looked at the ground with a sigh.

"What's the password?" He didn't even turn around as Klaus brushed by him. Caroline said Klaus frequented Twenty, he'd know the password.

"Vampire." Was all he said to the saxophone player, dropping a one hundred dollar bill in his upside down hat, before walking in the door.

Inside, Dean was floored, even though he had seen the club before, he didn't have any recollection of it. The dark exterior was such a contrast with the bright and lively interior. He had to shake his head to come out of it, jogging to catch up with Caroline and Klaus as he shoved his pistol into the back of his jeans.

"Where's Kyle?" Klaus was snarling at a man taller and thicker than him, who strangely looked scared.

"I don't know, I really don't! He just left. He got out."

Klaus just looked at the man menacingly for a moment before smiling. But the smile was not at all happy and made Dean uncomfortable. "You will let me know if you have any news, won't you?" Klaus' voice sounded evil, and Dean couldn't even fully see his face.

The taller man only nodded, and Klaus swung back to face Dean and Caroline off to one side, and Dean grimaced at the expression on his face, somewhere between mean, torturous, and angry.

"Caroline, love, I want you to come have a chat with Evan and I." He threw Dean a glance that Dean knew all too well. He wasn't wanted. Caroline glanced behind her as Klaus led her away to another bulky man, a glance that screamed pity Dean didn't want.

Raised his eyebrows, he swiveled around himself, making his way to the bar. He wasn't dumb. He understood what was going on. Kyle must have been the crazy hybrid, except now he was gone.

Dean sat down on a bar stool with a sigh. He didn't have time to be chasing around random rogue hybrids. This whole angel thing sounded like crap. He only had two reasons for doing this. One was Sam, who would have told him to see a job through, and the other was the beautiful slender blonde across the room.

"What can I get you?" A dark skinned bartender slapped a towel down in front of Dean.

"What?" Dean blinked for a second. "Uh, just a beer, thanks."

The bartender was back momentarily with the beer, sweating, and with a napkin. "So, you'd get lucky with the blonde last week?"

Dean eyed the bartender, confused. The man must be referring to Caroline helping him out of his situation with the drunks. "Naw, she was just helping me out."

"Didn't look like helping out from here. She had you wrapped around her little finger."

Dean furrowed his brow. Sure Caroline was pretty, but their relationship wasn't like that. Though God knows how many times he had wished it was.

"You mean her, right?" Dean waved a lazy hand towards where Klaus and Caroline were deep in discussion with a bulky man on the other side of the room.

"No, no. But she's pretty. I mean the one you were with, man. Klaus' sister? She's a catch, but very hard to catch, apparently." The bartender shook his head. "Man, you must be getting a lot of women if you can't even remember that one." He swabbed the bar with a towel before wandering off to another customer.

Dean watched the bartender go before setting his beer down and stroking the rim of the bottle. As far as he knew, he had never had a real conversation with Rebekah. He certainly didn't remember seeing her here. But the word 'remember' shook him. Just how much was Caroline hiding about that night she found him?

The hunter pulled out his jar of dead man's blood and eyed the tall, beefy man next to him, the one Klaus had been berating not long ago. Just how much was Caroline hiding about her knowledge of supernatural creatures in general? Something strange was going on, and Dean wasn't about to let it go.

()()()()()


	9. Chapter 9

**Author's Note: So this is all Caroline, just wanted to get this scene down. Next chapter will be a time jump, just giving fair warning, because things need to move along. Also, the last bits are a little...mushy perhaps, so I apologize if it doesn't seem to fit with the rest of the plot.**

**Thanks are in order to my new reviewers! I love all my readers, but you guys are the best- especially because you help me write better, and give me good ideas! Also, because of one of you, I decided to clear up what happened to Bonnie. It's a little ambiguous, but you'll get the point.**

**Anyways, best to you all and enjoy!**

Caroline dragged a finger slowly around the rim of her empty glass as she half-heartedly listened to Klaus ripping Evan a new one for not watching Kyle closely. She tried to tune into another conversation, anything besides this, really, but there were so many people and so much noise that even her vampire hearing didn't let her hear much. At the table to her left, a couple was kissing in the shadows, and to her right, a couple of drunk guys were saying disgusting things about the women at the table next to them.

She was concentrating so hard on hearing something interesting or useful that she almost didn't notice Klaus stand up, stalking off towards the exit without saying a word. Well that was it, then, was it? Clearly Klaus was done here, which meant she should be too.

Sighing, she patted Evan's arm and stood, straightening her sweater and buttoning up her trench coat before making her way through the crowds to where Dean was drinking beer at the bar.

"Come on, Winchester. We're leaving. This was a bust." Caroline braced her left side against the bar in a lazy position while talking at Dean.

He had been facing the other way, talking to the tall man Klaus had been yelling at earlier, but turned at her voice. "Yeah, it was a bust for me too."

Caroline poked a droplet of water on the counter with her finger. "How do you mean?"

"Well, dead man's blood doesn't work on hybrids. I spiked Jason's drink-nothing."

Caroline's head snapped up as she processed what he was saying. "You spiked his drink?"

Dean shrugged nonchalantly. "Yeah. Didn't work."

"Dean Winchester. How could you do something like that?" Caroline's curls bounced as she shook her head and stood straighter, taking a step back from him in disgust.

"What?" Dean looked at her skeptically. "It didn't work. No harm done here."

"You don't get it do you?" Caroline laughed, a laugh that was more an expression on anger and frustration than anything else. "Do you even care about anyone besides yourself? Are you doing what you do because it's what you learned, and not because it's what is right?"

"Well, yeah. It's pretty black and white. Something is supernatural, you generally kill it. That's how it works." Dean shrugged, and Caroline was so angry with his reaction that she couldn't speak for a few moments.

"You do realize they are human in some way, right? Lots of the things you've probably hunted have been human at some point. They have feelings, Dean. They didn't choose to be this way. You can't just so blindly treat them like evil lab rats." She had to stop for a moment to prevent her voice from getting too loud. "And I swear, if Klaus finds that you've hurt any of his hybrids, he will not hesitate to kill you. He cares for his hybrids in a strange way, Dean, and that is the real reason why you're here."

As soon as Caroline said that, she wanted to take it back. She could see it hurt him. Klaus had said that before and she had disagreed, and now saying herself hurt Dean too much. But the sad expression rolled off his face in moments.

"King Asshole-doesn't-like-to-get-his-hands-dirty would kill me? I don't think so." Dean snorted. And although his expression was one of mockery, Caroline could still see the hurt in his eyes.

"Dean, I would be careful if I was you. There is a lot about Klaus that you don't know, and you should keep it that way. You should also try to stay alive." She ground her teeth together, angry at Dean but still managing to pity him at the same time.

They stared at each other for a few minutes, Caroline's eyes searching every bit of him to see what he was thinking, Dean only blankly staring back. Finally, she grabbed his arm and pulled him to standing. "Come on. We're done here. Let's go, Winchester."

Caroline half-dragged Dean out into the parking lot, where Klaus was angrily pacing around the Impala, making wide circles. His head snapped up as soon as Caroline stepped one black-boot clad foot into the gravel of the lot, the expression on his face one Caroline hadn't seen since he had first arrived in Mystic Falls.

Caroline braced herself for harsh words from Klaus, but he said nothing, only sliding into the back seat when Dean opened the car.

The ride was tense. Caroline could practically feel the solid anger rolling of Klaus, and the equally solid hurt from Dean. She may have not been good at hiding her own emotions, but as bad as she was at hiding things, she was twice as good at picking up on things.

Uncharacteristically, Dean slammed the door to the Impala, something Caroline knew he didn't do often because of how much he loved his car.

Klaus, on the other hand, walked slowly to the front door, hands behind his back, almost invisible in the darkness of midnight.

It was Elijah who answered the door, with his usual high and mighty expression. "Evening, brother. You do not look as though your trip was successful."

Dean shoved past Elijah, and stomped up the stairs to the room he was staying in, leaving Klaus and Caroline in to entry way with the perhaps most moral of vampires. When Klaus didn't answer, Caroline gave Elijah a glance that told him everything.

"I see. Try again another time, perhaps?"

Before Elijah had even finished, Klaus had closed the door and spun and pushed his brother against it. "There is no next time, brother. If Kyle goes on a killing spree, that is the end of my hybrids." He released Elijah, who had made no move to free himself, before turning to Caroline. "And that will be the end of little hunter as well." With that, Klaus was gone, vamped away into his luxurious bedroom, no doubt.

"Goodnight, Elijah." Was all Caroline said, before wiping her boots on the entry mat and slowly making her way upstairs as well. She had no energy left to vamp anywhere, much less hold a conversation with the distinguished Original.

Caroline, in this moment, could best be described as frustrated. She was frustrated with Klaus for caring so much about his hybrids as hybrids rather than as friends or people, something that she was slowly sympathizing with Rebekah for. She was frustrated with herself, for allowing those two people and the crazy woman to die the week before. She was frustrated with her efforts, for not being able to find any mention of the angels. She was maybe most frustrated with Dean, who she thought would understand her supernatural secret.

But no. To him, everything was black and white. Should he learn her secret, he would try to kill her. And she couldn't let that happen. She couldn't put herself and her friends in danger. So she'd have to kill him or wait for the vervain to leave his system and compel him, two options she didn't want to resort to. She had thought, that maybe, this once, there was someone who would understand her.

And the way Dean saw supernatural beings. He saw them as garbage that needed to be taken out. A puzzle that needed to be solved, a game that needed to be finished. To him, they were no longer human. And his complete lack of sympathy for the plight of supernatural creatures made her incredibly angry.

Caroline stopped at the mirror in her room of Klaus' mansion. Believing she would be here awhile, she had brought pictures, so many that they created a border around the mirror frame.

And she still looked the same. Tired of her lifestyle. Tired of what she went through. Tired of being a vampire. She had come to New Orleans to try and change things up, but instead, she felt even more tired.

Sighing, she flopped onto the bed, resting on her back a moment before sitting up to unzip her boots. She stood and placed them in the closet, hanging up her sweater, jeans, and pea coat as well. She walked over to the vanity, dropping her extra rings and jewelry into an ornate box, stroking the lid as she did so.

After brushing her teeth and putting on her favorite ivory satin night gown, she pulled her diary from beneath the pillow and flipped to the next clean page. None of her friends knew that she kept this diary. But while Stefan and Elena had eventually ceased to write their pains in pages, she had continued. She wanted to remember every day, and every feeling she felt. In one hundred, or two hundred, or five hundred years she wanted to look through her old journals and read the entries like they were yesterday. She wanted to look at her old entries and feel exactly what she felt on the day that she wrote them. And so she wrote.

A knock on the door concluded her entry, and she signed it with a flourish. Glancing at the clock, she wondered who was trying to talk to her at one in the morning.

"Caroline?" The whisper was soft, low, and gentle, but Caroline immediately recognized the voice. Dean. She closed her journal and put it on the nightstand before turning off the only light in the room, a bedside lamp, and drawing the covers up to her chin.

"Come on, Forbes. I know you're awake. You just turned the light off." Dean rattled the door, to him probably not loudly, but Caroline knew all the vampires could hear him. She ignored him, rolling onto her left side and facing away from the door.

"Please, Caroline. I just want to say I'm sorry." Dean stopped rattling the door and whispered softly again.

Caroline twisted her daylight ring, eyes staring at nothing in the dark. She was stubborn, yes, but she didn't want things with Dean to end badly. She owed him an apology too.

Groaning inaudibly, she swung herself out of bed, pulling a navy plush robe over her indecently short nightgown. Unfortunately, her robe wasn't much longer, but at least it was warm.

"Well?" Caroline opened the door a fraction, only enough for her body to be visible, but not enough so that Dean could shove past her. It took him a moment to respond, as his eyes were busy admiring what cleavage he could see, and her long, long, bare legs.

"Uh, can I come in?" Caroline didn't blame him for looking, because she was staring too. Although he was wearing jeans and she had seen him briefly shirtless, he should have been arrested for indecent exposure.

He was wearing nothing more than an undershirt on top, and it was completely useless, as it clung like a second skin to his torso, making every sinew and line of his chest visible. It was also short, so she could see a bit of his tight abs and the hints of his sex lines before they disappeared into his boxers and very, very, low slung jeans.

She had to shake her head and remind herself that she was mad at him before speaking. "No." She started to close the door, but Dean stopped her. "Please, Care."

That gave her pause. He had never called her that before. Always 'Princess' and 'Forbes'. Although her friends had called her by that nickname before, with Dean it felt different, intimate somehow.

"Fine." She opened the door wider and let him in, before gently shutting it behind him.

"So." Dean looked uncomfortable, pacing around the room, glancing at the ceiling and sticking his hands into his pockets, an action that only made his sex lines more visible. Caroline had to remind herself to keep her eyes at his face.

Neither of them said a word for a moment, Caroline standing awkwardly by the door while Dean continued to look around the room. He stopped in front of the mirror, leaning forwards to look closer at a photo.

"Who's that?" Dean pointed to a person in a group photo, and Caroline had to get closer to see who it was.

"Matt Donovan."

"Where is he? Seems like he was part of your group of friends. Shouldn't he be around?" Dean stuck his hand back into his pocket, and Caroline couldn't help but admire his backside in the very low jeans.

"He was." Caroline remembered that group photo. Taken on graduation. "He moved on. Went to college, got a job, got a life." She shrugged. She missed Matt, but he was better where ever he was, away from his friends who were no longer human.

"What about her?" Caroline sucked in a deep breath at the dark-skinned and dark-haired girl her was pointing at, but she answered him anyways. "That's Bonnie. Bonnie Bennett. She was a good friend," Caroline paused. "But we don't talk about her anymore." Dean turned around at her tone of voice, and even though it was almost dark except for the light glow of the electric fireplace, and he was several feet away, his face showed sympathy that Caroline didn't want. Because she didn't want to talk about Bonnie. How expression had changed her. How when she had started expression, she hadn't been Bonnie anymore. How she had to die, or so many other people would have.

"You have a boyfriend?" Dean was back to looking at her photos, and she knew who it was without looking. She knew that picture by heart, she had traced it many times. She and Tyler, just their faces, Tyler smiling his beautiful smile and she making a crazy face.

"Look, I thought you wanted to say sorry? Why do you ask so many questions?" Caroline folded her arms, and Dean turned around looking sheepish. But she went on anyways. "You can't do this, Dean. You have to face your problems. And you can't distract me. My old friends and dead boyfriend aren't going to cut it."

Her voice had risen, higher than she would have liked at this hour in a house of vampires, and what made it worse was his silence. A silence that stretched on and on before he finally spoke.

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be. He died two years ago." Caroline's voice was harsher than she intended.

"No," Dean let out a nervous sound. "I mean, I am sorry about him, but I'm sorry for acting the way I did. You were right. Everything is black and white to me, and I don't treat these people like real people. I treat them like chores that have to be done. And I'm sorry that I do that. But I can't allow myself to care. Caring is not an advantage. And alone is what I have. Alone protects me."

Caroline watched him for a moment, noting the sincerity in his voice. He was genuinely sorry, and so was she. "I'm sorry too, Dean. You aren't useless, or worthless, and you aren't just here for Klaus. You're here for me, too. Because I believe in you. And I believe you are a good person, and you do good things. And you don't have to be alone, because," She sat down on the bed, throwing her hands up into the air. "Because I want to be there for you. I want you to trust me, and I want to trust you."

Dean moved around the bed and came to sit next to her on the edge, the two of them staring silently at the electric fireplace. "Do you trust me, Caroline?"

"Yes." She said, not looking at him, because she did. She knew it when she saved him in the parking lot that day.

"Then tell me what really happened when you found me last week." His tone of voice had completely changed, hardened into something fierce. When she finally brought herself to meet his eyes, she could see the same hardness there.

"And no bullshit about being beat up. The bartender told me that I was with Rebekah. An event I strangely don't remember." Caroline froze up, and he saw it, and she knew he did. She had to take deep breaths, figure out a way to work Rebekah into the story.

As nonchalantly as she could, she shrugged. "I only found you into the parking lot being beat up. You might have seen Rebekah beforehand, inside. In fact, it's altogether likely, because we were going to the club to meet up with her in the first place."

"You're lying." Dean's gaze on her didn't break, his eyes unflinching. She looked at him, trying to erase the guilt from her expression, but to no avail. Which was why she was so surprised when his intensity lessened.

He looked to the fireplace, and then back at her. "But that's okay. I know you're hiding something, but I'm going to trust you, Caroline. I want you to know you can trust me, so I'm going to trust that in time you'll tell me the truth. It's a two way street remember?" He grinned, the first real grin of his she had seen in a while.

She grinned back, an equally real grin, before echoing his movements and gazing at the electric flames. When she finally looked back at him, he seemed much closer. What she said only came out in a breath. "One day, I will trust you with the truth, Dean Winchester. Today is just not that day."

"I know." Dean was so close now that she could smell his aftershave, that she could almost taste his breath. And simultaneously the two of them bridged the small divide between them, lips melting together, slow and gentle and sweet. But the kiss meant nothing. What meant so much more to Caroline were his words. Perhaps hope was not lost. Perhaps she could make him see that supernatural creatures were not all bad. And a million other thoughts of Dean flew through her mind in that briefest of kisses, that briefest of melding of two people's flesh that was really the beginning of the melding of two kindred souls.

When they pulled away, it was in unison, neither wanting to take the passion further, to push what would naturally come in time. And so Caroline made herself content with staring at his lovely face, with his beautiful ocean eyes, before standing up. "Goodnight, Dean." Her words were no more than a breath.

"Goodnight, Princess." Dean said as he gently eased open the door and hauled his fine ass out into the hallway with a beautiful smile and a snarky eyebrow. And somehow those words were the most beautiful and perfect words he could have ever said to Caroline.

()()()()()


	10. Chapter 10

**Author's Note: Thank you to my new reviewers, for their kind words and inspirations. I also apologize for the long breaks between updates- getting these long chapters in takes a lot of work! This may be the longest chapter yet, because it aims to wrap up a portion of the story.**

**I've got the rest of the story planned out to the bit, so all that remains is a few more chapters and a lot more typing!**

**For Sam-lovers, don't worry- he'll be here soon. The next chapter should clear up just how Caroline's and Dean's stories fit together on the overall TVD and SPN storylines.**

**As always, please review, you don't know how lovely reviews make me feel. And also as always, enjoy!**

Dean stared at the LED screen of his phone, at the bright light that gave him no new information. It had been two weeks since he had come to New Orleans, two weeks since his father had gone to Jericho. His dad had said he'd let him know when he finished the job, and they could meet up again and continue hunting. But is had been two weeks, and that was too long. His dad should have been in touch by now. Maybe it was time to go looking for him.

Dean sighed. His father would have been a great help at the moment. Another week had passed, and he had found nothing on the angels. Nothing on Kyle, either. It seemed like he had skipped town. The only thing Dean had successfully managed of late was a kiss from Caroline, but nothing had changed between the two of them.

While the rest of Klaus' guests acted like Dean and Caroline had gotten married, Caroline had not changed her attitude towards him. Still friendly, but not overly so. Never mind that Dean couldn't figure how everyone else knew.

"Dean?" Dean looked up to see Elena Gilbert poking her head in the doorway of his room. "We're having lunch, you hungry?"

Dean nodded, letting his phone drop onto the bed before standing up and walking over to the door.

"Uh, what's for lunch?" In the past two weeks, Dean had barely spoken a word to the dark-haired woman, and while she seemed nice, he felt awkward around her.

Elena was focused on the steps she was climbing down, so she didn't face him. "I think soup and sandwiches. Elijah and Stefan went grocery shopping this morning and bought lunch meats."

Dean bit his lip and nodded. Why couldn't he think of something more interesting to say? "So, uh, what do you think about this whole angel situation? Crazy, right?" He bit his lip again, but this time with more force. Why did he have to blurt out things like that?

"Actually, yeah." Elena took a long breath and let it out slowly before continuing. "I mean, the thought of supernatural creatures isn't that strange, but angels? That's a whole another thing. That starts getting into religion. I'm not sure I'm comfortable with that."

"Well, I have seen demons. And I've exorcised a few, apparently to hell. But, yeah, it's strange." He shoved his hands in his pockets, following her into the dining room where Klaus was nursing a glass of red wine (which he seemed to drink constantly), and where Rebekah was laying out dishes.

"Here, let me help you." Dean took half of the plates from Rebekah, which had been dangerously unbalanced.

"Thank you." Rebekah set out the plates in her hand. "You're a hell of a lot more helpful than my brother." She didn't even bother to lower her voice, and Klaus just smirked.

Caroline and Stefan carried platters of meats into the dining room, and Elijah followed behind with condiments and breads. Damon came in last, balancing a large, wide tray with two large pots Dean assumed were full of soup.

Dean pulled out a chair next to Rebekah and offered her the nearest bread tray. "So, listen. Did we meet at Twenty the night Caroline found me?" He had been meaning to ask her after what he had learned from the bartender, but it seemed that everyone in this house was always listening. So he had given up trying to ask in secret, deciding instead to make it seem like nothing in front of everyone. "Because I sure would have remembered a pretty face like you, but I don't remember anything."

Rebekah was much harder to read than Caroline. Except for the barest of glances at Klaus, her face didn't change in the slightest, her eyes still cold and hard. "Yes, yes we did. You hit on me at the bar, and I hit you across the face."

"Ooh." Dean let out a nervous laugh that didn't reach his eyes. "Women are tough around here."

"We are." Was all Rebekah said before taking a bite out of her sandwich and ignoring him for the rest of the meal.

Klaus gave him a snarky expression that seemed to be glued to his face of late, but the rest of the company seemed to have ignored the interaction. And so the lunch passed, rather mildly, Dean feeling awkward sitting next to the cold blonde who didn't say another word, while the rest of the company traded pleasantries and occasional barbs.

When the talk seemed to die down for a bit, the silence grew awkward, until Stefan spoke up. "So, Dean, any more developments on the angel stuff?"

Dean shook his head. Stefan had been generously helpful, perhaps most out of anyone beside Caroline. But the truth of the matter was that he had gotten nowhere, and he needed help.

"No. I've looked through all the usual papers and books that I turn to, but nothing. I tried to get in touch with my father, but he's been unavailable." Dean sighed. "Actually, he should have contacted me by now. He said he'd get in touch when he finished the gig he was working, but I haven't heard from him. I think I might head out and see what's going on."

"What? You're leaving?" Caroline's gaze snapped up from where she had been admiring a chocolate cake intensely moments before.

"Yeah, I need to check in on my dad." Dean took a bite of an apple, concentrating on the apple instead of the angry blonde sitting across from him.

"Dean Winchester. You can't just up and leave when things get tough! You've got to see this through. People are getting hurt, and you are the only one who has any inkling of what is going on."

"Not true." Dean waved the remains of his apple in Caroline's direction. "My father knows a lot about this. That's an understatement. He knows almost everything about this kind of thing. He'd be a great help. Unfortunately, he's been unresponsive."

Caroline just continued to eye him, and Dean couldn't help but think she had a tendency to over-react to things. First with the dead man's blood, and now this. He sighed.

"Look, Caroline. I'll be back. I promise. I'm just not any help to you right now."

She continued to look at him, and Dean could feel the eyes of the rest of the company on them as they all waited with baited breath for her response.

"Fine." Her angry expression melted slightly. "I suppose you want to leave as soon as possible?" She stood up, collecting her plate and Klaus' from next to her. "I'll help you put together some food for the road." She walked off into the kitchen, Dean scrambling to pick up his plate and follow her.

When Dean caught up to her in the kitchen, she was scraping remains of lunch into the compost, not turning as he came in. He set down his plate in the sink and waited for her to say something, but she didn't speak.

"Caroline. Please don't be angry with me. You have to understand that I'm just not going to get anywhere on my own. I've never even heard of angels like these. I need help. And my father's my best bet, but he's not responding—" Caroline cut him off by swinging around and pressing her body and mouth into his.

"I'm not angry." She said when she finally withdrew from his mouth. "I understand. I know you'll be back. I trust you, remember?"

Dean looked at her, down into her blue, blue eyes, her fair skin, her fair hair. She kept saying that she trusted him, but she wouldn't tell him the truth. She had some secret, and she wouldn't tell it to him. "Then why don't you tell me the truth, Forbes? I know you're still hiding something from me."

Caroline looked taken aback. "I told you, I'd tell you—"

This time Dean cut her off. "No. You keep saying that, but it's been two weeks! Tell me, please." His voice grew desperate. What was it that she was so inclined to keep from him?

Caroline watched him for a moment, taking in his expression he knew was probably a strange mix of confused, desperate, angry, and passionate.

"I'll make you a promise, Winchester. If you come back safely from wherever you're going, I'll tell you. On arrival."

Dean looked at her, his arms still wrapped around her slender frame. "I'm going to hold you to that, Princess." He leaned in to kiss her again.

"But—" Caroline pressed a finger to his lips, keeping him from kissing her. "You also have to promise that you won't look at everything like it is black and white."

Dean furrowed his brow. Something about that phrasing should be familiar to him. Something was starting to go off in his head. Pieces were beginning to make sense. But he replied anyways. "Okay."

The two of them looked at each other for another moment, Caroline apprehensive, Dean thinking a hundred miles an hour. Things were starting to make sense. But he ignored it for the moment, leaning in and meshing his lips gently and passionately with hers.

The moment didn't last long.

"Caroline! Bring your little hunter in here!" Klaus' voice broke their kiss. Caroline rolled her eyes at Dean, but disengaged her body from his and strode back into the dining room anyways.

"What, Klaus?" Caroline looked pretty uninterested in whatever Klaus had to say, but Dean could see the look in Klaus' eyes. That slightly evil glint that came with Klaus' strange and twisted adventures.

"Kyle's back in town, little hunter. Your time to shine." Klaus raised an eyebrow at Dean, taking a long, slow sip of red wine before heading towards the door.

Dean looked at Caroline, who looked at him only a moment before looking at the rest of the company.

"Well, wish us luck!" Caroline's voice was fake and cheery, and Dean knew she must be thinking of what happened last time they encountered a person influenced by these creatures.

"We'll go with you." Elena stood, and while Elijah, Stefan, and Rebekah also stood, Damon remained sitting, a most bemused expression on his face. He did not look like he wanted to get his hands dirty.

Dean chuckled. "Sorry, honey, but I don't think this is your thing. You don't look like you've ever handled a gun before."

Stefan smiled a rare smile, brooding brows still in place, however. The edges of Elijah's mouth also turned up, but Damon broke out into a full, deep laugh.

"What's so funny?" Dean was confused. He took another look at Elena. She certainly didn't look like she had any muscle on her body at all.

Elena glared at Damon before composing herself and looking at Dean. "Nothing. I have handled a gun, but not much."

"Everyone stays but the hunter and I." Klaus came back into the room.

"Nik, Elijah and I could be helpful." Rebekah protested. At the same time, Caroline protested.

"Klaus, I'm not going to just sit here and wait for the two of you. You won't protect Dean. You don't care about Dean."

Klaus clenched his jaw, looking between the two blondes. "Fine. Caroline, you come. Elijah, you too. Everyone else stays."

"But, Nik—" Rebekah came around the table, making her way towards her brother, who had already started out of the room again.

"No buts, little sister. You can stay and protect Elena and the Salvatores." Klaus didn't even turn, just waving a hand as he walked out into the entryway.

Rebekah looked angry, Elena looked used to it all, and Stefan just looked broody. Damon, on the other hand, just put his feet up on the seat next to him and dangled a piece of bacon over his mouth. Dean looked at them all, still wondering why they allowed Klaus to have such a large amount of control over them.

"Come on, Dean." Caroline's voice brought Dean back to the present, and he realized he had been over-thinking things. Which he usually never did. That was Sammy's department.

When Dean walked outside in the pouring rain to his car, he saw Caroline, Klaus, and Elijah all already waiting by the car, Klaus and Caroline having an argument in facial expression only. He opened his mouth to ask for an explanation, but then bit his lip and sighed. This sort of exchange was becoming all too familiar to him. And that made him smile. He was building a sort of family, even in this short time he had known these mysterious people.

Sliding into the car after Klaus and Elijah had climbed into the back, Dean's smile slipped into a frown. These people might be starting to feel like family, but that only made him vulnerable. Everyone he ever started to care for got hurt.

The car ride passed in a blur, Klaus directing Dean to a cluster of woods on the edge of town, the pouring rain making it hard to see very far in front of where he was going.

"He's in here?" Dean raised an eyebrow in disbelief. "Hiding in the woods?" He was concentrating so hard on trying to see through the rain that he almost missed Caroline and Klaus exchange a glance in the rearview mirror.

"Hybrids are…" Dean watched Elijah clench his jaw in the rearview mirror. "…best described as primal creatures. Strange, even."

Dean nodded as if in understanding, though he didn't understand at all. Caroline was so particular about these creatures being somehow human, but Elijah's description didn't fit at all.

"Alright. Everyone out. Watch your backs, stay close, and keep the gun I give you at the ready." Dean swung out of the car and held the seat forwards for Elijah and Klaus to get out, the last of which snorted.

"What's so funny? Would you like to die?" Dean got straight up in Klaus' business, staring down into the slightly smaller man's face.

Klaus snorted again, before stepping back and clasping his hands behind his body. "Not particularly, little hunter. I just find it amusing that you think a gun will provide any protection from my hybrids."

That word again. Dean only had moments to process the several things that Klaus was saying. What first caught his attention was the use of the possessive word. Everyone seemed to refer to these creatures as Klaus'. The second part that caught his attention were his words about guns.

"If guns won't, what will?" Dean opened the boot of the Impala with more force than was perhaps necessary, unlatching the false bottom and surveying his inventory.

Klaus came around the back and peered over Dean's shoulder for a moment before sliding his arm beneath Dean's and pulling out an item. "These should do nicely."

Dean eyed the machete in the foreign man's hand. He was handling it in a way that screamed superiority and ease. When Klaus started lazily swinging the machete and testing for balance, Dean opened his mouth to warn him to be careful. However, he didn't even get out a sound before Klaus had thrown the blade in his hand to Elijah, and had picked up two more, tossing the spare to Caroline.

Dean's mouth gaped open like a fish, and Klaus raised a singular eyebrow before parading into the woods, swinging his machete, Caroline and Elijah reluctantly following.

As Dean shut the trunk and locked up his car, he blinked in confusion. Caroline and Elijah had caught the blades from a few feet away like experienced hunters. With a little warning, Dean probably could have caught the blades, but Caroline and Elijah? Klaus' ease with the blade also had him stumped. The strange man handled the machete like he'd been an experienced swordfighter.

Dean would have definitely advised against Klaus' methods for finding Kyle as well. While Dean would have slowly watched his surroundings while trying to be as quiet as possible, Klaus and Elijah were striding non-chalantly through the forest, making a lot of noise. Klaus was even going so far as to call out to the deranged hybrid.

"Kyle, oh Kyle! I know you're here!." Klaus paused in a clearing, and Dean noticed Caroline cringe next to him at Klaus' blatancy. "I was told by Evan. I've been waiting for you." As he said those words, he spun in a circle, pacing around himself, amused almost.

Dean turned his back to Caroline's, trying to get a better panoramic view of the forest around him. He felt strangely uncomfortable with only the machete; normally he would have gone into a situation like this with some salt, dead man's blood, holy water, and his trusty Colt 1911.

Nothing happened for what seemed like forever. Dean's eyes darted around the clearing, and he had to keep wiping his eyes from the rain that poured into them. Klaus' short hair was almost unaffected, and Elijah's hair was mostly slicked back anyways, but turning, Dean could see the weather was frustrating Caroline.

Not expecting Kyle to actually show up, Dean slackened, turning to face Caroline instead of away from her. The water from the sky had not only flattened her hair into sheets of glowing blonde, but also soaked her denim jeans tucked into her rain boots. Luckily, she had smartly shoved on a raincoat before exiting Klaus' mansion, but she looked more off put by the weather than the situation that they were in.

Dean was just about to slip into a thinking mode, trying to piece together the pieces of the puzzle that was Caroline and her friends when a deep voice caused him to spin around, machete at the ready, knees bent.

"Hello, Klaus. How nice to see you." A tall, dark haired man walked into the clearing, a red-headed woman to his right. Dean scanned the area around him again, heart sinking into his stomach as he counted the numbers of presumably hybrids closing in on the clearing. A dozen, at least, coming around from multiple directions, men and women.

"Klaus." Caroline's voice trembled in warning. But Klaus seemed unconcerned. He just clasped his hands behind his back, machete dangling uselessly, pacing slowly towards Kyle.

"Hello Kyle. I see you've brought some of my hybrids with you."

The red-head snarled. "We aren't yours, Klaus. We've broken the sire bond." Dean frowned at the words. He didn't understand half of this hybrid jargon.

Klaus tilted his head to the side as the hybrids closed in around the four before speaking. "Ah, Audrey. You always were such a firecracker. I knew I should have killed you when I had the chance."

"Not if we kill you first." Dean watched, captivated, as Audrey's pupils turned amber, her whites turned redder, and the veins around her eyes turned dark, coupled with huge fangs that protruded from her mouth.

"Wait." The enclosing hybrids halted at the cool voice of Elijah. "We don't want any trouble. We just want to know about the angels."

At the mention of the supernatural creatures, the hybrids all seemed to relax, much happier expressions on their faces.

"Yes. The glamour angels." Kyle's voice had become syrupy, almost.

Dean glanced at Caroline. Glamour angels? Her face showed just as much confusion as his probably did. At least he had more information now to figure out what was going on, assuming he could get out of here alive.

"What about these glamour angels?" Klaus tilted his again, this time in the opposite direction.

"They take away memories. But it feels good. But then they make us promise to kill people. Especially supernatural creatures. It's a better death now than if we wait and let the angels kill them." Audrey's face had transitioned from complacent to vengeful as she finished speaking.

"And all of you? You've all been affected?" Klaus pivoted to look at the hybrids around him.

"Yes. All of us. We're going to take out the supernatural creatures, and the humans, and then ourselves." Kyle's voice had a trance like quality that scared Dean. What scared him almost more was the fact that he was having a hard time following what was going on.

"Well now." Klaus chuckled. "I can't let you do that now, can I?" Dean only had enough time to see him raise an eyebrow before Klaus suddenly appeared in front of Klaus and Audrey, slicing both their heads off in one single swipe.

Dean didn't even have time to marvel at Klaus' ability to move so fast, because the clearing erupted into chaos.

Everything was blurry, and Caroline's warmth had vanished from his back. He was standing alone, he knew, but for once, he was petrified. Everything here seemed to be supernatural but him. And suddenly, one of those supernatural things tackled him.

"You're pretty, I'd hate to mess up that face." A dark-haired hybrid had him pinned down, stroking his face, the machete thrown out of his hand and into the mud a few feet away. Dean could feel the dull, throbbing pain of an injury in his arm.

"Good thing you won't have to." Dean plunged one of his spare knives into her thigh, causing her to roll off him, giving him enough time to make it to his machete. Turning, he swung out with the blade, hoping it would make contact. And contact it made. The blade sliced through the brunette's neck, at an uneven angle, causing the blade to get lodged in her shoulder.

While this hybrid was dead, there were more, and Dean was having a hard time pulling his machete out of the dead body. He groaned, trying again, but unsuccessful, he turned around, only to see a blonde-haired male hybrid making his way towards him.

A blurry figure smashed into Dean before the hybrid could get close to him, pulling him out of the clearing within moments. Dean couldn't see much, but when he finally stopped moving, he could tell he was not in the clearing any more. He couldn't even hear the sounds that should have been coming for a fight.

Dean had to shake his head for a second before his vision steadied enough that he could see the figure cradling his head in its arms.

"Caroline?" Dean's eyes crossed as he tried to focus on the blonde above him.

"Dean." Caroline's worried face turned up into a smile. "Are you okay?"

"Uh." Dean stuttered, trying to process what was going on.

Caroline watched him, scanning his body, waiting for him to speak when she gasped. "Your arm!"

Dean looked at his right arm, which had been throbbing when the brunette hybrid had pinned him down. Focusing, he saw a long vertical slash running down it, blood flowing out at a dangerous rate. But he didn't care. He wanted to sort out what was going on.

"What are you?" Dean's voice came out in gasps as he tried to ignore the pain.

Caroline looked at him with pity, before biting her wrist and pushing it to Dean's mouth in motion faster than he could process. Although Dean fought her wrist, he caught the darkened veins around her eyes as hey receded. When she moved her wrist, he groaned, her blood spilling from his mouth.

"Vampire."

She nodded. "And I'm sorry for lying. I'm sorry for not telling you everything, Dean. I promised I would tell you when you got back from finding your dad, but I had to save you so that there would be something to look for his dad." She paused, concentrating on the rain washing away her wrist bite and healing itself.

"I'm also sorry for what happened when you came to New Orleans. How Rebekah fed on you. How I fed you my blood to heal you. How Rebekah erased it all, so you wouldn't remember."

Dean couldn't speak for several moments. "Then why am I not a vampire?"

"Excuse me?" Caroline looked as though she had not expected that in the slightest.

"When vampires feed blood to humans- that's what turns them." Dean tried to sit up, already feeling the pain in his arm subside.

Caroline laughed, a sad laugh really. "No, silly. You have to die first."

Dean took a moment to process everything before speaking again. "So. All of Klaus' guests. All vampires?"

Caroline nodded. "Are you surprised?"

Dean's answer was about to come straight and fast, but not true. He checked himself before speaking slowly. "No. I don't think so. I think I suspected there was something supernatural about you and your friends already." Because he had. And in the last moments before the hybrid encounter, he had begun to fit it all together.

Which reminded him. "What about Klaus and Elijah? They were facing all those hybrids?"

Caroline helped Dean to his feet, leading him back in the direction of the clearing. Miraculously, his arm had almost ceased to feel painful. "Klaus and Elijah and Rebekah are Originals. The first vampires. They don't die very easily."

"Damn it. I was kind of hoping to gank Klaus." Dean attempted to be funny, and although he knew it wasn't really, Caroline laughed for him, a gesture he appreciated.

"Let me assure you, little hunter, that is a task that has been attempted many times, by many parties, yet has never been successful." The Original Vampire himself and his brother walked up to Dean and Caroline, both soaking wet and covered in blood.

"What happened?" Dean noticed Caroline covering her nose and mouth to prevent from vamping out at all the blood.

Klaus just looked at her for a moment, long and hard. "They're all dead. All insane." He clenched his jaw, wandering off towards the direction of the Impala before whipping around to vamp over to Dean and pin him against the tree.

"I will not tolerate any more hybrid deaths, do you understand? You will determine the origin of these angels, and you will exterminate them." Klaus dropped Dean and vamped off, Elijah casting a pitiful glance at him before vamping off as well.

Caroline offered a hand, but Dean refused it, instead leaning against the tree to draw himself up from the ground. Neither of them said a word, slowly making their way in the direction Klaus and Elijah had vamped off.

"So I suppose you're still leaving?" Caroline's voice sounded lonely and dissapointed.

"Yeah." Dean ran a hand through his hair. "Look, Caroline. I understand why you didn't tell me anything, but you need to give me time to absorb this. You're still a supernatural creature, the thing I hunt, even if I really liked human Caroline."

Caroline stopped in front of him, tears beginning to cloud her eyes. "Dean Winchester, this is why I didn't tell you. Not because you wouldn't believe me, but because you, like my father, don't seem to understand that human Caroline and vampire Caroline are the same. I haven't changed just because I've grown a thirst for blood, stayed seventeen forever, and been able to compel people." She let out a nervous laugh, and even though every fiber in his body screamed for him to walk away from this creature, or kill it, he pulled her into an embrace.

"Just give me time, Caroline. Give me a week to mull things over, to find my dad and bring him back here, so we can finally take out those angels." He pulled her slightly away from him so he could meet her eyes. "Trust me, okay?"

Caroline looked at him for a few more seconds, eyes spilling over, before she buried her head in his chest. And in that moment, Dean Winchester, in the pouring rain, in the forest, consoling a vampire in his arms who he might actually love, wondered how on Earth his life had grown so twisted and strange.

()()()()()


	11. Chapter 11

**Author's Note: So this chapter is much shorter than the last one, but I just wanted all this section to go together, as the next section changes tone. Again, the last portion is a little more love-focused, so I apologize if any of you suddenly convulse at the high level of sugary sweetness.**

**Also, I was feeling the story, and had a lot of time, so I managed to crank it all out today. If my lovely readers are lucky, I'll be pretty constant about posting- I'm really feeling it as the story begins to wrap up.**

**As there are only a few chapters left, I just want to thank you all again for hanging in with Caroline and Dean, and thank you for reading. (And special thanks to reviewers).**

**As a side note, this Irish guy at the campus cafe a few feet away has a really obnoxious voice that is penetrating my brain and making it hard to concentrate. I doubt he reads this, so I think I'm okay, but if he does, well dude, you talk REALLY LOUDLY. (And chew really loudly. Sorry.)**

**That said, thanks again, and as always, enjoy!**

Caroline stared blankly at the entry in her diary. The date at the top of the page reflected her worst fear- a week had passed and Dean Winchester had not returned. While she had finally been straight with him and told him everything before he left, she could tell that he was doing his best not to explode with confusion. While she wanted to trust him so badly, and she thought that she did, what if he didn't come back?

The blonde vampire sighed and closed her diary, switching off the nightlight and lying down so that the only light came from the glow of her clock. Almost midnight.

What was taking Dean so long? He knew where his father was. It should have taken a few days at the most for him to head out to California and come back. Not a full week. If Dean was planning to come back, he would have by now.

Although worried and anxious, Caroline was almost asleep when she heard the distant purr of a car. She shot up in bed, not daring to hope. But a smile formed on her face when she heard the slam of a car door- no two- and a familiar voice.

"Forbes! I know you can hear me!" And that was all Caroline needed. She was only wearing a tank top and sleeping shorts, but she vamped downstairs and threw open the door, launching herself into the strong arms of the elder Winchester.

"Dean! You came back." Caroline drew her body back from his to look at him properly, take in that attractive face that she'd be dreaming about but hadn't seen. "I thought you wouldn't, after you found out what I was."

"Naw. You're still Caroline." Dean smiled down at her, but it was weak. And Caroline could see it didn't reach his eyes. Because in his eyes she saw apprehension. She saw that while he might say that she was no different as a human or as a vampire, he had been trained to hate the supernatural, and that wasn't going to change so easily for him.

For the first time, Caroline saw the tall man standing behind Dean. While she had registered the sound of two doors closing, she had only been able to think of Dean.

"You didn't find your father." Caroline's face fell as she stepped back out of Dean's embrace. The man standing behind Dean was much too young to be father Winchester. So he must be…

"Hi. I'm Sam. Sam Winchester." The tall man took his right hand out of his pocket and offered it to Caroline, who accepted it with a smile. "I'm Dean's brother." Sam tossed his long hair in a nod towards Dean. He squinted. "You must be Caroline Forbes, the helpful vampire."

Caroline's smile was as weak as Dean's had been moments ago. "That's me… the helpful vampire."

"Look, this bonding is lovely and all, but we might have serious trouble on our hands." Dean started towards the house, holding the door open for Caroline. "Have you noticed the railroad construction on the edge of town?"

Caroline frowned. "What?"

"It sure as hell wasn't there when I was leaving New Orleans." Dean swore more elaborately. "Do you have a map of New Orleans?"

Caroline's brows continued to grow closer to each other. "I think Klaus might in the dining room."

While Dean stomped off to find a map, Caroline turned to the younger Winchester. "So, what happened? I thought Dean was going to look for your father. And I thought you were at college?" She shrugged.

Sam let out a nervous chuckle. "Yeah, well, Dean went looking in Jericho. Looked for almost a week before he came over to me. Told me he needed me for the weekend, Dad had been out of touch for three weeks." Sam paused for a second, wiping a hand across his face. "We went to Jericho, ran across a woman in white—"

"A what?" Caroline raised a skeptical eyebrow. "You ran across a bride?"

"No, no." Sam shook his head. "An angry spirit. Long story. Anyways, we took care of her, but no sign of Dad. So I went back home, but…" Sam paused, looking down. "My girlfriend was murdered."

Caroline was silent. She knew how it felt to lose someone you loved. "I'm… I'm sorry. My last boyfriend was murdered too."

The two of them shared a moment of understanding silence before the sound of an angry swear came from Dean in the other room. "Son of a bitch!"

Caroline vamped into the dining room, Sam running in behind her. Dean had spread out several maps and was scribbling over them furiously.

"What is it?" Caroline came over to Dean.

He sighed, resting his body on his arms before straightening and making eye contact. "You're going to want to get the rest of the vampires down here, Forbes."

Within moments, the rest of the company of Klaus' mansion had vamped into the dining room, still in pajamas, and Caroline could see that the Winchester brothers looked very uncomfortable.

"Well, little hunter? You called?" Klaus surveyed Dean like a piece of meat before turning to Sam. "And I see you brought your little brother."

Elena and the other vampires started forwards, introducing themselves to Sam, who looked even more uncomfortable with all the attention. Only Elena had managed a handshake, however, when Dean slammed a fist on the table. "Introductions can happen later. We've got a bigger problem to worry about."

Klaus ambled nonchalantly over to Dean's maps, but the others were a little more cooperative. Sam gasped when he saw the symbol Dean had drawn on the map.

"Look, these bold lines? Railroads that already exist. These thinner lines? Railroads the workers have just recently built. Dotted lines? Railroads that they are planning to build by next week." Dean looked around the table, eyes deadly serious.

Caroline looked at the symbol for a bit. She didn't recognize it. But when the railroads were finished, they would create a square with a five-pointed star inside it, encompassing the greater New Orleans.

"It's a variation on a devil's trap. Keeps in- or out- demons. Only this one, works on all supernatural creatures." Sam's voice was as serious as Dean's expression.

"So it will work on us, then?" Rebekah sounded as worried as Caroline had ever heard her.

"Not just you vampires, but any witches, werewolves, hybrids, ghosts—anything supernatural in this place." Dean threw his pen onto the map in disgust.

"The angels." Caroline finally connected the dots. "They're trying to trap us all here. So we'll kill the humans to survive, and then kill each other. Massacre of the whole place."

Dean and Sam nodded. Klaus, on the other hand, didn't look concerned at all, and was somehow nursing another glass of spiked red wine. "We'll just have to kill them all, then, won't we?"

"All of them? Dude, you're seriously messed up." Dean shook his head in disgust. "In order for the angels to have compelled the humans to build four new railways in the past week, they must have employed hundreds."

"I've killed more."

"Klaus." Caroline's voice was both warning and surprised. "You promised. No needless killing."

"But it isn't really needless if they've already been brainwashed, is it now, love?" Klaus set his now-empty glass on the table.

"It is if we can get to the glamour angels before the railroads are finished." Sam tilted his head, trying to reason with the Original vampire.

The entire company waited with breaths held before Klaus finally answered. "Fine. You have until the day before they finish. If you don't stop this before they finish the railroads, I will end them. And probably you too." Sam audibly gulped, by Klaus just strode out of the room, his glass magically full again.

Caroline surveyed the rest of the guests, in all different states. Dean and Sam looked concerned, but more than concerned, just really frustrated with doing all of this. Rebekah and Elijah were stoic- as Originals, they had the best chance of making it out of this alive. Stefan still looked broody, and Damon nonchalant, but Elena did actually look a fraction worried.

"I don't know." Damon spoke up from his chair, lounging in only black boxers, legs over the arm. "I mean, imagine if we were trapped." He sat up straighter, properly. "The only way to survive would be massive bloodsharing. It'd be like a supernatural orgy!" He looked much too excited about the situation, an opinion Dean was not afraid to voice.

"Dude, you're even more messed up than Klaus is." Dean looked at the dark-haired vampire in disgust before striding out of the room.

The rest of the vampires look uncomfortable, until Elena stuck her hands in the pockets of her sleeping shorts. "Well, goodnight, everyone. I guess we'll deal with this tomorrow?"

Everyone mumbled goodnights and good dreams, making their way out of the dining room and to their bedrooms until only Caroline and Sam were left.

"So, I suppose you'd like a room? Probably want to go to bed, huh?" Caroline pressed her mouth into a flat smile. Sam nodded.

So the two of them went back out to Impala, where Sam retrieved a small duffle and a small Taurus 99 Gun. "Like to stay safe, you know." He chuckled nervously, also shoving a few small knives and a bag of salt into his jacket pockets.

"A wooden stake would probably be more useful in a house of vampires." Caroline joked, but Sam took her seriously and grabbed a couple of stakes as well.

The pair walked back towards the house, Caroline having to hold the door open for the tall man with so many weapons. "Do you really trust us that little? I mean, I, or anyone else, could have killed your brother for two weeks, but we didn't. Doesn't that count for anything?"

Sam was silent as he followed Caroline up the ornate staircase, and it made Caroline nervous. Sam seemed much more clear-headed and reasonable than his brother, and if Sam couldn't learn to trust her as a vampire, would Dean ever be able to?

Sam finally spoke when Caroline held the door open for him to a spare guest room. "You seem like a good person, Caroline, even if you aren't human anymore." He set down his bags and various weapons in a corner of the room before coming back to the doorway. "But you have to understand that Dean and I have been trained to kill supernatural creatures all our lives. And now, you're one of them. And no matter how much Dean likes you, it's going to be hard for him to ignore that." Sam's intensity softened at the expression of sadness on Caroline's face. "I wish it were different Caroline, I really do. Goodnight." And after he closed the door, Caroline stood there for a little while longer, absorbing his words. She wanted- no needed- to talk to Dean now.

"Dean?" Caroline made her voice as soft as possible, but still audible to human ears, knocking on his door. She was reminded of how this same scenario had been reversed only two weeks before.

"Hello, Princess." Dean swung open the door almost immediately, and it broke Caroline's heart. On the last occasion, she had been too angry to open the door for him, reducing him to almost begging. But he was too kind. He might not feel exactly the same about her anymore, but he wouldn't let her stand out there as she had done to him.

"Can we talk?" Caroline's voice was nervous, almost dissolving into the voice of someone crying.

Dean's smile melted when he heard her voice. "Yeah, yeah, come in. What's wrong?"

Caroline walked in, and flopped down onto his bed. "I just… I…" The tears came, slowly, but she had to stop talking. Dean rushed over to her, pressing her head into his bare chest. "Shhh. Shhh. Tell me."

When Caroline finally controlled her crying, she pushed away from him and sat up properly. "I'm sorry… it's just… I really like you, Dean. And I'm not sure I can handle the way you look at me now."

"What do you mean?" Dean looked truly confused.

Caroline opened her mouth to speak, before clamping it shut. "Never mind. I'm sorry, I'll go." She stood to leave, but Dean stood with her and grabbed her shoulders firmly, so that she had to face him.

"Caroline Forbes, tell me what's on your mind. Trust me." And Dean's face was so open and welcoming that she couldn't help it.

"You don't look at me the same, now that you know. Human Caroline is who you liked. Not vampire Caroline. You look at me like you can't trust me anymore. But I haven't changed, Dean, I haven't changed. I'm still the same old Caroline, except maybe a little less shallow and a little more bloodthirsty." The tears started coming again, but this time they were tears of frustration.

Dean looked pained as he spoke, as if each word hurt to say. "Caroline, I never knew human Caroline. I only ever knew vampire Caroline, I just didn't know it. And I like vampire Caroline. She's a strong, badass woman who does what she can not to protect just herself or just her loved ones, but people she doesn't know as well. And I might look at you differently, but it's only because I've never met a supernatural being as wholly good and human as you. I'm thrown off by how… perfect you are."

Caroline laughed through her tears. The words he was saying to her- she'd heard similar versions of the same things before, once from Matt, and once from Tyler. The two other men she had once loved.

"Dean Winchester, I think I just might be in love with you." She looked into his eyes, realizing that they were drawing closer to each other, realizing the heat surrounding them, realizing he wasn't wearing much more than boxers, and she wasn't wearing much either.

Dean reached a hand from her shoulder and up to her cheek, stroking her pale skin gently, the skin that she had once been tired of staring at in the mirror. "God, Care, I hope so, because I think I might be in love with you too."

And then they met, in the middle, heads tilted, mouths embraced in passion. And it wasn't long before Caroline took a breath to let Dean draw her shirt over her head, and let her shorts drop to the floor. And as Dean gently but passionately continued to kiss her as he lowered her onto the bed, she knew this was what she needed. Because if Dean was willing to trust her in this way, then maybe he could trust her as a vampire. Maybe he could trust her, forget that she was supernatural. Forget that everything was black and white. She knew she could. And she did. That night, in the dark, in the soft light of a night lamp, she forgot everything for a moment, as she and Dean embraced in the most passionate and loving embrace she had ever known.

()()()()()


	12. Chapter 12

When Dean woke up, he was careful not to move, watching the blonde besides him take deep breaths as she slept. She was just so beautiful, he couldn't look away. And he couldn't believe that she drank blood. And in that moment, he was glad she hadn't told him, because if he had known her first as a vampire before knowing her as Caroline, he wouldn't have felt this way.

"Watching someone sleep is generally considered creepy, you know." Dean started at Caroline's voice, who spoke without opening her eyes or moving a muscle.

"Wha—how?" Dean thought he had been careful, not wanting to disturb her.

Caroline finally opened her eyes, turning onto her back and rubbing her eyes before facing him again. "Vampires have very good hearing, better than you'd think." She cocked an eyebrow. "I could hear the change in your breathing when you woke up."

Dean put his hands behind his head and looked at the ceiling, before his eyes widened and he flipped back over to Caroline. "Does that mean all the other vampires could hear everything last night?" They had not been very quiet, that much he knew.

Caroline's lips twisted as she tried not to smile. "Probably. There's no such thing as privacy in a house of vampires."

Dean groaned. He did not need them to make more jokes. Presumably, they'd heard them kiss that one night too, and the jokes then had not been good. The events of the night before would only cause the jokes to be worse.

Caroline snuggled closer to him, so he twisted to wrap an arm around her bare body. "Do you think they're listening now?"

Caroline frowned in thought, no doubt listening. "Sounds like Klaus, Elena, Stefan, and Elijah are up. So probably."

Dean grinned, a naughty grin. "Then let's give them something to listen to." And he leaned close, kissing Caroline passionately until she giggled and pushed him away.

"Don't we have work to do?" She vamped out of the bed, pulling her pajamas from the night before on and crossing her arms. "We've got to find the glamour angels before the trap is finished. Where do you think we should start looking?"

Caroline flopped back down onto the bed as Dean stood up and yanked on his jeans. "Actually, I think we need to do more research."

Caroline frowned as Dean pulled on a white shirt and button-up. "I thought we'd already looked through all the places you usually look for information?"

"All the ones that I had." Dean corrected. "Now I've got one that we didn't have before."

Caroline rolled onto her stomach, twisting a strand of blonde hair around her finger. "What's that?"

Dean yanked on his chocolate utility jacket and turned up the collar before facing Caroline. "We've got my father's journal."

Dean walked down the staircase of the mansion alone- Caroline had vamped to her room to put some real clothes on- lost in thought. He and Sam hadn't properly been able to get a look at what his father had on glamour angels, but he was sure there was something. His father had encountered everything. Everything.

"Hello, little hunter. I trust you slept well?" Dean heard Klaus' words before he even made his way into the dining room, where Klaus was reading the newspaper and sipping a glass of red wine. Dean didn't say anything, and he expected what came next.

"I know I didn't." Klaus raised his eyebrows as he tossed the newspaper on the table. "You see, last night, you and Caroline were a little bit too loud."

Dean stuck his tongue in his cheek and clenched his jaw, but said nothing. Caroline had warned him, and plus, getting involved with the Original vampire seemed to be more trouble than it was worth.

"Klaus!" Dean looked up in time to catch Elena covering her mouth, but he could see her vamped out eyes. "Why do you always have to drink blood in the morning?"

Dean eyed the glass Klaus was holding, and realizing what it really was, groaned. So that was what Klaus had been drinking the entire time he was here, and he hadn't even known.

"Problem, little doppelgänger? I would have thought you were used to the smell by now." Klaus lazily rolled the almost-empty glass in his hand.

Elena tilted her head in frustration, clearly trying to suppress her true thoughts, before speaking through clenched teeth. "No, Klaus, I just wasn't expecting you to be drinking blood at breakfast." She turned away from him and shook her head in annoyance. Dean thought sometimes the Original vampire acted more immature than any of them.

"Dean!" Elena's face completely changed when she noticed Dean standing on the other side of the room. She looked so human and wholly good that Dean wondered just how many supernatural creatures were more pure than he had thought. "I've been meaning to give this to you."

She walked over to him- a gesture Dean appreciated, since all the vampires had decided to vamp around lately- and held out a small metal item. When she dropped it into his outstretched hand, Dean raised his eyebrows in surprise. It was the fucking ugliest ring he'd ever seen, for one thing. Drawing it closer to his face, he looked at the lapis lazuli details and the engravings. Nothing he could decipher, or anything he had ever seen before.

"What is it?" He asked, continuing to inspect the ring. It was pretty heavy too.

Elena stuck her hands in her pockets and sighed. "A Gilbert family ring. It protects the wearer from being killed by supernatural creatures. I thought you might need it, going after the angels and all."

Dean glanced up just in time to catch one of the saddest expressions he'd ever seen on the pretty vampire's face. "What's wrong?"

Elena didn't answer, just biting her lip, but Klaus had no qualms answering. "Her little brother, another hunter, died wearing that ring." He licked his lips. "All so little Elena could get the cure for vampirism."

Elena started breathing heavily, angrily, but she ignored Klaus, for the most part. "My family had two of them, one for me, one for Jeremy." She paused, as her eyes started to water. Dean, not knowing what to do, awkwardly patted her head, but stopped when she looked up at him again. "But I became a vampire, so it doesn't work on me, and Jeremy became one of the five, so it didn't work on him." The tears started coming then, silently, and as Elena covered her face, Dean did the best he could to hug her.

"Thank you." He whispered, into her dark hair, letting her bury her head into his chest as he rocked back and forth.

"Sorry." Elena stepped back from him a few moments later. "I just… I just don't have any human family left, and… I thought maybe I could protect you." She reached into her pocket and pulled out another one, almost identical. "For Sam." She used both her hands to put it in Dean's hand, and wrapped her much smaller ones around his bigger one. "Dean, promise me something?"

Dean couldn't find it in his heart to deny this vampire, who so desperately wanted nothing more than for her life to be as it was before this whole mess. "Of course, Elena."

"Promise me you'll take care of your brother. He's the only one you've got, and it doesn't matter what he does, or what he doesn't do, because blood is thicker than water." She chuckled, but it was a sad laugh, with a tear dropping into her mouth. "And as a vampire, I should know." She looked at him a while longer, nodding while sighing and holding his hand, before vamping off into the kitchen.

Dean looked down at the two rings in his hand, brow furrowed in thought. These rings would be useful, but that wasn't what crossed his mind as he slipped one of them on, and the other into his jacket pocket. He was thinking of how human Elena had been, how raw she had felt, how much she missed her brother. How much she missed being human. And once again, he found himself questioning whether everything supernatural was really so black and white.

"Finally." Klaus' snarl reminded Dean where he was and who was around. "Now I can finally kill you like I've been meaning to." He stood, smiling, that same smile Dean noticed whenever Klaus was going into an adventure, or a kill. "Goodbye, little hunter."

And the last thing Dean saw was a blurry figure appear in front of him before his neck felt strangely out of place, and he blacked out.

When Dean next opened his eyes, he did so gasping, trying to bring as much air into his lungs as possible.

"Dean!" Dean had to blink and stretch his jaw until he could focus on his brother's face above him. "You're okay, thank God!" And then Dean was enclosed in a hug, Sam's jacket smothering his face.

A few moments of tight-squeezing later, Sam disengaged and gave him some space, and Dean finally figured out where he was.

He was in the parlor, laid out on a couch, Sam sitting on a chair next to him, Caroline, Elena, and Elijah on chairs on the other side of the room. The three vampires were watching him and Sam without a word, but Dean could tell Caroline was pissed. After all, she was terrible at hiding anything.

"What happened?" Dean rubbed his neck, which felt strange, and rolled it to crack it.

Sam winced. "Klaus killed you."

"What the hell?" Dean sat up straighter. "Where's the bastard, I'll gank him now."

"Easy, Dean" Sam put his hands on his brother's shoulders, lowering him back down onto the couch. "You know you can't actually do that." Dean just smacked his mouth and pouted.

"Actually, you were lucky that Elena just gave you the ring. Otherwise you wouldn't be alive now." Sam said, eyebrows raised.

Dean looked down at his right hand, fourth finger, where he had slipped the ring on next to the plain band he usually wore. He remembered now. How Elena had given him two rings, made him promise to take care of Sam, and then Klaus had rushed him. The bastard must have snapped his neck.

Caroline snorted, walking over to Dean with her arms crossed. "Uh, no, Sam. The reason Klaus killed Dean was because he had the ring on. He knew he'd come back to life."

"Son of a bitch." Dean swore. Klaus had exacted his revenge on the growing tension between the two, but Dean had no chance of doing the same. Caroline had told him how to kill Klaus, and it wasn't easy. Wood stakes and vervain, two things vampires dreaded, would barely even affect Klaus.

"If it helps, Damon's killed both my brother and another hunter friend of ours, Alaric, while they were wearing rings." Elena said from her seat on the other side of the room. "It seems like that's how angry vampires show their affection."

Dean rolled his tongue in his mouth, brows growing so close they almost touched. He was pretty sure Klaus' act was not a display of affection.

"My brother can be quite temperamental. You're luckily he hasn't killed you thus far." Elijah said, before walking out of the room, face expressionless.

Dean made a childish face at Elijah's retreating back, screwing up his nose and baring his teeth before settling back into the couch, pouting. He did not like the idea of dying and coming back to life in the slightest.

"There, there, little Dean." Caroline mocked, sitting down to his right, pushing his hair back on his head and stroking his face. Dean just looked at her, unamused, raising an eyebrow when she didn't stop.

He rolled his head to the left to face Sam. "How long have I been out?"

Sam's eyebrows popped up for a moment before relaxing as he tilted his head. "Well, it was around nine when Klaus killed you, and it's almost one in the afternoon now."

Dean dropped his head into his hands before running a hand slowly across his face and sitting up straight again. "Tell me you did some research, Sammy."

Sam looked at him, this time eyebrows staying up for much longer. "I was a little preoccupied with my brother being dead, Dean, but yes, I did."

"And?" Dean was alive; there was no more time for sentiment.

Same rolled his eyes and smiled a very fake smile. "I found a section on glamour angels- Caroline, Elena and I have already been through it."

"Well?" Dean wondered if dying and coming back to life would always make him this grumpy.

"They like to group up. Like they really like it. Have sorts of polyamorous relationships and stuff, generally around five of them in one place." Caroline stood up as she spoke, her slender frame in leggings and a white tunic with a caramel colored military jacket over it towering above him.

"Yeah, it's kind of gross. Kind of incestual actually, since they're all children of god. And of demons. Sort of a cross between angels and demons, really." Sam chimed in. "And they like to nest. So our best bet is finding where they nest, and it should be pretty easy." He grabbed John Winchester's journal from a nearby table and flipped through the pages. "They generally throw lots of parties, and then feed by erasing people's memories. The people just think they were at really good party. However, being fed on too many times makes the fed-on go insane. Likely what happened to diner-woman and the hybrids."

Dean bit his lip and nodded, before raising an eyebrow. "Does it say how to kill these suckers?"

Elena finally came over to the trio, slowly walking with her hands deep in her jean pockets. "They possess humans, Dean. So you have to be careful, otherwise you can kill the host."

Sam flipped to a different page. "You can't actually kill them, you can just kind of exorcise them. They're more like demons than angels actually. When exorcised, they're sent to purgatory." He flipped the page again. "Holy water doesn't work on them because they are still sort of considered holy and have a lot of the same abilities as angels, but speaking holy words often causes them mental pain. It isn't really useful unless you're trying to figure out if they are glamour angels or not."

"But what about something else? Like something that can take care of them now?" Dean looked incredulous. There had to be something besides speaking Latin at these things.

"Salt and silver bullets."

"What?" Dean turned to face Caroline. Salt was for ghosts, and silver bullets were for creatures like werewolves and shape shifters and the like.

"Salt and silver bullets!" This time she said it with a little more force.

"I heard you the first time." Dean clucked his tongue. "It's just that salt and silver bullets are not used for creatures like that."

"I know it's strange, Dean, but it's in here." Sam pointed at the book. "Salt irritates the skin like holy water does to demons, and silver bullets in two or more of the chakra points are sometimes enough pain, causing the angel to go back to purgatory, or at least leave the host body."

"Chakra points? That sounds like that would kill the host."

"Yeah, it probably would. The chakra points are traditionally seven points in a body where energy is stored, generally the halo, forehead, neck, chest, stomach, lower abdomen, and groin." Sam flipped to an image of the chakras, holding it up to Dean. "However, shooting the halo chakra, the one directly above the head, sometimes is enough to stun the angel, meaning we could then do a proper exorcism."

Dean took the journal from Sam, mentally memorizing the locations of the chakra points. It seemed possible to save the hosts, and he felt most comfortable with his salt and silver bullets, so why was he doubting his ability to complete this task? He shook the uneasy feeling away.

"Right then. Looks like we've got some glamour angels to find." He smiled cheesily at Sam, Caroline, and Elena. "Where do we start?"

()()()()()

Caroline looked over at Dean as she climbed out of Klaus' Aston Martin, shaking her curls to remind herself not to think of the night before, when he wasn't wearing this suit, this suit that made him so alluring, trying to not remember when he wasn't actually wearing anything. She consoled herself with the thought that he, climbing out of his Impala with his brother, probably was thinking similar thoughts about her. Because she looked damn hot.

With the knowledge that glamour angels liked to party, Klaus, Caroline, Dean, Sam, Rebekah, and Elena had dressed their best and driven in their cars to Twenty, hoping to collect intel from clubbers who had recently gone to a party that they just couldn't quite remember.

Caroline, like always, had curled her hair, but not like always, she had put on a slightly daring dress, black and fairly-form fitting, the front dipping into a deep v, the back from the waist up only made of lace, the lace continuing on her arms to make the sleeves. Also, like not always, she had a silver pistol with silver bullets strapped on a holster to her right leg, and a salt-shaker in her bag. With her weapons, black dress, nice car, and black pumps, she felt like a Bond girl.

The rest of the vampires, and Sam and Dean, were also dressed nicely, with pistols and salt concealed on parts of their bodies. Elena and Rebekah stepped out of Rebekah's blood red BMW, Rebekah in a very short dress the color of her car, Elena in a navy, slightly less daring one. Klaus, and Sam too, also looked fine, Sam in his suit he said he never had occasion to wear but he had bought for law school, and Klaus in his three-piece Armani.

But it was Dean that Caroline couldn't look away from as the six walked into Twenty, Klaus dropping a hundred and the password. Caroline especially could not take her eyes off of his toned behind, which was very visible in the well-cut suit.

Walking into Twenty, the company paused, Caroline grinning in satisfaction at Sam and Elena's reaction to the place. Although she had been in here twice, neither the younger Winchester nor the older Gilbert had experienced the feeling of walking into the club.

"Alright. Everyone remember to lie low, mingle, and don't shoot unless you're sure it's a glamour angel." Dean whispered, low enough that only Sam and the vampires could hear.

"And if you are sure, aim for the halo first." Sam added. Caroline and Elena nodded, but Klaus and Rebekah simply strode off, acting like the supernatural royalty that they were.

"Right then." Caroline saw Dean check his silver blades in his hidden armbands before offering her his arm. "Shall we?"

Caroline raised both eyebrows and pursed her lips, an expression she seemed to have on her face a lot when around Dean Winchester. "You and Sam can buy us drinks, Winchester. Elena and I will get us a table." And so she left his arm hanging, instead looping her arm through Elena's and leading her friend to the raised balcony where the nicer tables were.

It wasn't long before Caroline and Elena ran into one of Klaus' remaining hybrids, a well-built redhead by the name of Lachlan, who stopped by their table while Sam and Dean waited at the bar.

"Elena Gilbert and Caroline Forbes, am I right?" The hybrid squinted as he stopped in front of the table. Caroline remembered he had stopped by Klaus' mansion one day while she and Dean had been doing research after the diner incident.

"Yeah, and you're Lachlan Greaves, right?" Elena extended her hand. "Please have a seat."

"Don't mind if I do." Lachlan slid into the booth, moving around the circular bench until he was next to Caroline. "How've you lovely ladies been?"

"Not so great. We recently had to massacre a whole lot of hybrids." Caroline's voice was not pleasant. She was grumpy, and rightfully so, to be involved in this whole mess.

"I heard. A shame, really." Lachlan said rather awkwardly. The awkwardness only intensified as neither Elena nor Caroline said anything, Elena wringing her hands, Caroline grumpily twisting one of her curls.

"Ah, well, uh, Caroline, you look absolutely gorgeous." Lachlan cleared his throat. "Listen, can I buy you a drink, maybe we can chat a bit?" He seemed to gain confidence then, smoothing back his hair and leaning in closer to her, breathing in her ear. "Maybe even head back to my place?" He gently tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Hey, buddy, get out." Caroline had never been happier to see Dean than in that moment, balancing a tray laden with drinks.

"What?" Lachlan looked up confused. "Oh hey, I recognize you. Klaus' little hunter bitch."

Dean looked incredulous, clenching his jaw. "Sorry I don't recognize you, man. Now get out."

"Just talking to the lady, here." The redhead put an arm around Caroline, who had it pinned behind him in a moment.

"The lady obviously doesn't want to be talked to. Now get out. And I don't just mean here. Get out of town if you know what's good for you." And Dean continued to give the hybrid the stink eye until Caroline let him go and he slowly made his way out of their booth and out of the club.

"Wasn't that a little much, Dean?" Sam said and the two brothers slipped into the booth next to Caroline and Elena.

Dean took a shot from the tray he had bought before smiling at Sam. "Nope. Little shits like that who mistreat women deserve to be taken down a notch. Besides," He took another shot, which Caroline recognized as afterburn, "Wouldn't want him around when the trap is sealed."

Caroline just looked at Dean for a moment before gulping down an entire salt-rimmed martini and kissing him on the cheek. "Come on, Winchester, let's dance." Elena moved out of the way in no time, giving Caroline a clear exit, dragging Dean behind her.

Caroline and Dean shared a few carefree and vigorous dances before the music changed to a smoother, more typical jazz piece, and they retreated to the edge, dancing slow.

"Puella, puellae, puellae, puellam, puella." Caroline intoned in a whisper, much to Dean's confusement.

"What?" Dean wrapped his arms around her waist tighter and pulled her closer, certain he had misheard.

"I'm speaking Latin." Caroline said as if it was obvious. "According to your dad's journal, Latin makes the glamour angels cringe."

Dean continued to look at her in concern. "What does it mean? Doesn't sound like any Latin from any exorcisms I've ever heard before."

Caroline looked at him sheepishly. "I don't remember much from Latin, actually. I was just declining the word for 'girl'."

Dean laughed. "You've got to say something more interesting, Caroline. Something more holy. Like 'Cristo'." He immediately peered around him, looking for any sign that a glamour angel was around, but no one reacted, all of them still dancing, fast and slow.

"Shouldn't we ask around, then?" Caroline also looked around her, looking for anyone who looked out of it or who looked pained by his words.

"Naw, Sam and Elena seem to have a hold on the situation." Dean nodded to his left, where Sam and Elena were questioning a couple of young adults at a table under the balcony. "And Klaus and Rebekah are probably busy too. Let's focus on us tonight, Caroline. Let's dance." And he spun her around before dipping her.

When he brought her back up, Caroline smiled. "You know, we never did really have a date."

"You feeding me your blood in the parking lot doesn't count?" Dean pretended to be serious and astonished.

Caroline pretended to be scandalized before biting her lip suggestively. "No, and taking me to a diner where there are hostages and a crazy woman doesn't really cut it either. Make it up to me, Winchester." She leaned in close, and was about to kiss him when an angry Rebekah storming through the crowd caught her eye. Dean looked confused when she didn't kiss him, but seeing her facial expression, he turned and groaned as the blonde Original grew closer.

"Hello, Dean, Caroline, you two have been a great help so far." Rebekah smiled, her classic smile that didn't reach her eyes, but reached high amounts of ridicule. "Lucky for you, Klaus and I have actually been doing what we came to do. And we've found out where the angels are nesting."

()()()()()


	13. Chapter 13

Rebekah and Klaus had conducted extensive research (actually, compulsion) and had determined the location of a well-known party house, that in recent weeks, had become increasingly popular. On the famous Bourbon Street was a mansion known as the Red House- once the site of an entire family murder, now seemed to be the place of choice for the glamour angels in town.

Hearing a party was to be thrown the night after visiting Twenty, the four vampires and the Winchesters had returned to Klaus' mansion, conducting last minute research and formulating a plan, which was basically to go to the party, determine whether the party-throwers were the angels, and if so, take them out.

So that night, the entire company in Klaus' house drove to the Red House; Dean and Sam in the Impala, Caroline and Klaus in his Aston Martin, Elena and Rebekah in her BMW, and Elijah, Damon, and Stefan in Elijah's black Porsche Cayman.

Of course, finding parking spots for four lovely cars with no parking lots around was difficult, not to mention terrifying to Klaus. He kept nervously glancing at his car as they walked away from it, an act Dean empathized with. While he didn't like Klaus, he loved his own car, for all its faults, and he suspected Klaus felt the same about his vehicle.

"Right." Sam stopped across the street from the Red House, which was tall and charcoal-colored and loud. "Everyone have salt?"

The vampires pulled out bags and shakers of salt from various parts of their bodies. Dean and Sam both had the smallest shot guns they could find, loaded with rock salt.

"And silver bullets?" Dean admired his Colt 1911 as he pulled it out of his jacket, while around him the vampires pulled out the pistols and guns he had given them. Except for Klaus, who had his own gun, a SIG P226 X-FIVE Golden Dragon that was extra-customized with silver plates and a pearl grip.

"Okay, everyone, let's break into groups. Probably an Original should be in each group. Spread out and look around the house." Sam surveyed the group, all composed of people shorter than him. Klaus, however, didn't let Sam's height give him any superiority.

"Stefan, little Winchester, come with me." And then Klaus was gone, presumably having vamped to the house across the street, Stefan gone moments later. Sam eyed his brother, but said nothing, only looking both ways before jogging across the street.

"I'll take these two." Rebekah placed a hand on the shoulder of Damon and Elena, and like Klaus, they too were gone.

Dean glanced around at the two remaining vampires- Caroline and Elijah. "Looks like we three remain." He had barely gotten his words out before Elijah had disappeared as well. "Vampires." He muttered. Since he had found out the company's secret, they hadn't hesitated to vamp around like it was something everyone could do.

"Hey. I'll walk with you, Winchester." Caroline smirked at him before linking her arm in his and stepping out into the street.

Inside, Dean felt Caroline's grip on his arm tighten as the masses of people inadvertently sought to separate them. For the Red House was crawling with people, talking, dancing, drinking, and generally walking down a road that would cause them to forget this night when they woke in the morning.

"Caroline? Is that you?" Dean and Caroline simultaneously whipped their heads to the approaching figure, which upon sighting, caused Dean to groan. It was that hybrid from Twenty the night before- the one who had been hitting on Caroline- what was his name?

"Lachlan? What are you doing here?" Caroline had to speak louder than normal, even with Lachlan's hybrid hearing.

"Oh, some friends and I rented the place, good place to throw parties." Lachlan rolled a red Dixie cup around between his palms. "Nice bedrooms too- though they're hardly used for sleeping, if you know what I mean." He winked at Caroline, and Dean rolled his eyes so fast that if they had been cars they would have won a NASCAR race.

But something made Dean pause, instead of averting his eyes from the hybrid and surveying the room, watching Lachlan more carefully. He had said that he and some friends had rented the place for parties. Dean frowned, debating, then deciding on pulling his gun and shooting the hybrid where a halo would be.

"Dean! What are you doing?" Caroline looked from Dean's outstretched arm to the fallen hybrid, as did several people in the area. But Dean did not regret his decision as the hybrid stood, blinking once, revealing irises that were no longer brown, but instead blue-white and glowing.

"Well done, Dean Winchester. You finally figured us out." Lachlan licked his lips. Caroline wasted no time, recognizing that Lachlan was possessed, spraying a shower of salt onto the hybrid's face.

Dean watched in horror as the face began to peel and burn. While demons did not appreciate salt, they never had a reaction like this. Even holy water didn't affect demons so terribly. But this- this was awful- it looked as though the skin was being peeled from the hybrid's face, and Dean hoped the hybrid inside did not feel the pain.

"Ouch, Caroline." The angel didn't appear particularly affected. The skin continued to peel off, leaving Lachlan's face raw, but the angel still advanced, swiping a hand that sent Dean flying into the people next to him.

"Everyone out!" Dean screamed from the floor as the people around him tried to help him up. "Everyone out if you want to stay alive!" That got the people going, pouring out of the house within minutes, leaving Dean, Caroline, and the glamour angel in the main entrance.

"That floor doesn't look very comfortable, Dean. Let's try the wall." The angel carelessly swiped a hand, pinning Dean to the wall next to him, where he noticed Caroline had been pinned similarly to the one across from him.

"So you've figured out the secret of the chakras, I see. Caroline got two more." The angel motioned to Lachlan's body, where both the chest and the neck had bloodstains. "And while I'm not allowed to kill you, Winchester, I can hurt you and the vampire." And with another swipe, Dean watched in horror as Caroline's neck turned too far, and she slumped to the ground.

"Son of a bitch." Dean swore, though his throat was closing under the influence of the angel's power.

"Wrong!" The angel smiled, an evil smile that twisted the remains of Lachlan's raw face. "I'm the son of God and the Devil. Which is exactly why I can't hurt you. Both my daddies have great plans for you and your brother, Dean." The glamour angel came closer, sliding a calloused finger across Dean's cheek. "However, I don't think either of them will mind if you've gone a little insane." The angel giggled, before its face grew serious and it neared Dean, clasping his face between its hands and opening its mouth.

"Go to hell." Dean swore again, using his last ounce of strength as he felt the energy starting to drain from deep within himself and into the creature's mouth.

The angel smiled. "I intend to. Haven't seen downstairs Daddy in a while."

And then suddenly four clean, consecutive shots rang out, and Dean was covered in Lachlan's blood as the glamour angel exited his body in a burst of blue-white light, and Dean fell to the ground. When Dean could finally look up and get Lachlan's body off of him, he saw a familiar face. "Elijah. What the hell happened to you?"

Elijah just offered him a hand, helping him up before rolling the body of Lachlan over. "He'll be okay in a bit, besides the face. Hybrids don't kill easily."

Dean took a closer look at the hybrid's body, or what remained of it. Six holes ran down the length of his torso, likely the chakra points. And Dean had shot the halo, making seven.

Caroline. Dean remembered what the angel had done to her, rushing over to her still limp form, dragging her body into his lap. "She'll be okay, won't she?" Dean looked up at Elijah, but he had already gone. So much for sticking together.

Dean looked back down at the blonde head in his lap, and stroked her hair. She would be fine. Breaking a vampire's neck wouldn't do much, just take her out for a bit. So Dean picked her body up as carefully as he could, and carried it quietly into the next room, where he laid her on a couch, listening.

How many glamour angels were in this house? Where were the rest of the vampires? Where was Sam? Was his brother okay? Had any of the vampires taken out any more of the angels? Dean had so many questions, but no answers. And he couldn't hear anything. No sound of anything. The house was too quiet.

So wiping a hand across his weary face, he slowly crept towards the closed door he had just come through with Caroline, pulling at the handle. But it wouldn't budge. Confused, he tried again. No cigar. He eyed the handle for a moment before crossing the room and trying the one on the other side. Locked as well.

"Were you trying to leave? Then you probably shouldn't have killed my brother." Dean spun around, gun at the ready, to face a dark-haired woman with glasses. He furrowed his brow, but when her irises flashed blue-white, he wasted no time, shooting her halo and her forehead before she had him pinned to the wall, gun on the floor.

"Dean Winchester. That wasn't very nice. I don't think Kristen liked that." She motioned to the short girl with a dark bob she had possessed. "Why don't you take a seat?" She whipped a chair to the center of the room and flung Dean into it with her back turned. He squirmed, but she still had him pinned down. "Isn't that more comfortable?"

"What do you want?" Dean grunted. He was tired of all these evil things talking to him instead of trying to do anything.

The angel possessing the woman named Kristen wiped blood from her forehead, and Dean watched in amazement as the wound closed. "I want to kill you, I really do, but unfortunately, I'm not allowed to."

Dean gasped as out of nowhere a knife sliced down the length of his exposed neck. The angel continued forwards, smiling as she swung a bloody blade in her hand. "My brother might have told you, but our fathers have great plans for you and your brother, Winchester. The two brothers. The two true vessels."

The hunter watched the angel, unable to move, unable to do anything really, except for be confused. These glamour angels seemed to think there was something important about him and Sammy, but he could make neither heads nor tails of it.

"Look lady, I don't know anything about what you're going on about, so if you aren't planning to kill me, can you just let me go?" Dean sighed. He was in no mood for all this crap from the things he hunted.

"So you can kill me? I think not. I may not be able to kill you, but I can still torture you and feed on you. So which would you like first?" The angel lazily swiped a hand, causing Dean's cheek to burst into pain, presumably where she had cut him.

Dean only clenched his jaw. His reaction caused the angel to roll her vessel's eyes before drawing a finger down the length of his torso, causing his shirt to split open. "Fine. We'll start here. See how you like Enochian symbols of torture carved into your chest."

She pressed a hand against his chest, and Dean watched in horror and pain as the skin split, leaving behind some strange ruin he'd never seen before.

"Hurts, doesn't it?" The angel leaned closer to him, pressing both her hands on his chest. "Not as much as my brother felt when you killed him, though." Then her face twisted into a smile of insane, evil, pleasure. "Nor nearly as much as the torture your vampire friends are getting from my other three siblings." Dean's nose wrinkled in hate for this creature, this creature possessing an innocent woman.

"Why do you keep company with those things, anyways?" The glamour angel stepped back from him to pace around the chair he was pinned too. "They are the same kind of things that you've hunted all your life, Winchester. You can't trust them." She leaned over and breathed in his ear. "Would you trust me for a minute?" She gently bit down on his earlobe. "I thought not."

She giggled, then, a giggle that hurt Dean's ears. He wanted her to stop. Because he had already made his peace. He didn't necessarily trust everything that walked across him, but in that moment, he realized he had come to truly trust Caroline. And maybe even her friends. Because he had known them as people first, before learning their supernatural secret, and learning that hadn't changed them a bit. And who was he to judge? He had his own secrets, his own trouble. And from what he knew, he'd killed more than Caroline or Elena ever had. But that didn't make him bad, so why should it make them any worse?

"No." Dean grimaced and looked up at the angel, who was now idly twirling a knife in front of him.

"Sorry?" The angel looked confused, and Dean realized she had probably gone on talking while he had been thinking.

"I wouldn't trust you. But that's because you are a creature that inhabits other people and feeds on other people, and drives them insane." Dean could feel hatred boiling in his eyes, and it was reflected in the shock in the woman's face. "Caroline and her friends aren't like that. The first thing Caroline did when she saw me was save my life. And I can't say the same for you, because you don't deserve it. You don't deserve pity or love or resentment or anger, because you aren't human. And just because you are an angel doesn't give you the right to flip your humanity off. Look at Caroline and her friends- they aren't human, but they've kept their humanity. And they deserve all those human feelings. They deserve to feel, because even though they are just as messed up as other humans, they try to be better. And that is the difference between you and them." Dean let out a long breath, glad to get it off his chest, when the glamour angel's vessel was suddenly showered in white grains of salt.

"He's right. Humans feel. And you aren't human. You don't deserve any of it, Bitch." And Dean watched in amazement as Caroline fired five shots into the angel, hitting all her chakra points. And almost in slow motion, the girl's face choked up, her body convulsed, and blinding blue-white light erupted from her eyes and mouth, shooting towards the ceiling. Once the angel was gone, the vessel- Kristen- fell towards the ground, but Caroline was there, wrist already bleeding, catching the girl and pressing her wrist to the almost dead girl's mouth.

Caroline leaned over the girl and listening to her heart, before picking her up and relocating her to the couch where Dean had left her. Then she turned, and even though the angel's power no longer held Dean to the chair, he was pinned by intensity of her gaze.

"Dean Winchester, did you really mean it?" Dean blinked as Caroline appeared in front of him, kneeling before him and looking at him with eyes starting to grow wet.

"I did." Dean chuckled, pushing himself out of the chair and pulling Caroline to stand with him. "When she said some of that stuff, I realized I did. I've said that I trusted you before Caroline, but this, what I feel, it's more than just trust. It's the kind of trust that only comes with love."

Caroline tilted her head, a solitary tear running slowly down her face, as she analyzed him. And her face was so intensely happy that Dean knew he was right to feel his way. She was a good person, even if she wasn't really human, she deserved to be treated like one.

"Dean, you've given me all I could ever want from someone. True trust. This…" She couldn't speak any more, mouth gaping open and closed, burying her head in his shirt, but Dean didn't need words. Her actions said it all.

And while he never would have pegged himself as a particularly sentimental person, he felt. His heart was swelling, and then it collapsed as he realized what this meant. He couldn't fall in love with Caroline. Not really, anyways. Because if there was some supposed plan for him and Sam, he wouldn't let her get involved. Look what had happened to Jess. The creatures that hunted him would hunt her too, and he couldn't bear to see her hurt.

But now was not the time. There would be a time when he'd have to step away from her for the last time, but tonight was not this night. For now, he'd enjoy the feeling of her strong body pressed against his, feeling the warmth radiating off her, feeling the silkiness of her pale hair.

"Tell me that wasn't a bore." Dean and Caroline both stiffened at the voice, and Caroline reluctantly withdrew from Dean's arms.

"I mean, all seven chakras? Really? I thought your little brother said only two." Klaus wandered into the room, hand clasped behind his back, Elijah following behind.

Dean didn't really care much for what annoyed the Original vampire and what didn't. He could shoot a million chakras, for all he cared. "Where's everyone else?" Dean remembered his brother and the other vampires that had been in danger tonight.

Klaus snickered. "I believe you mean your brother? He's fine, little hunter, coming right along." And sure enough, Sam walked into the room, a slowly swelling eye, but unhurt besides that.

"Sammy? You okay?" Dean drew his brother into a hug, noting the confusion and questions in Sam's eyes. So the angels had planted the seed of information of some greater plan in his head too.

"Yeah, Dean, but the angels said something strange—" Sam pulled back from his brother.

"Look, we'll talk later, okay?" Dean gave his brother a glance that hopefully told him that now was not the time or place.

"Really, Nik?" Rebekah vamped into the room, Elena and Damon behind her, carrying a body each. "Did you have to let that last host die?" She carelessly waved at the body Elena was holding, a small girl with blonde hair and closed eyes, six bullet holes lining her torso. Dean closed his eyes, frustrated.

"Well, she did try to stake me." Klaus motioned to a bloody hole in his chest.

Rebekah sighed in disgust at her brother and stomped her foot most childishly. "A stake won't kill you!"

"She also ruined my suit." Klaus frowned in disdain at the rip in his shirt.

Rebekah vamped across the room to slap her brother before disappearing again, Dean guessed to go home. Dean would laugh at her action, but the little girl was dead. Couldn't have been more than ten. Then the other body Damon was carrying caught Dean's eye.

"Stefan?" Caroline said it before Dean could. "Is he okay?" She vamped over to help Damon place his body on another couch.

"Well, his hair is a bit out of place and I think he isn't looking quite broody enough and maybe- oh yeah- his neck's broken, but yeah, he'll be fine." Damon rolled his eyes at the blonde vampire.

Dean glanced around him, tallying all the vampires and three angels in his head. "Did you guys come across three angels including the little girl?" He directed the question at Elena, but it was Klaus who answered.

"Oh yes, little macho man. Let's see. There was that angel possessing a witch, which was no fun-Elijah and I had to take care of that one. And then there was that bulky guy who looks a bit brain dead now, I think Elena and the Salvatores took care of them. And of course, little blondie. Your brother, Rebekah, and I took her on." Klaus paused, licking her lips. "And it was your brother who fired the seven shots. In that little girl- can you imagine?"

Dean looked at his brother, who looked ashamed. It had to be done- these things would have killed more otherwise. But now was not the time to start an argument, which Klaus looked extremely disappointed about.

"Right then, the one possessing Kristen said there were only five. And Caroline and I took care of Kristen and Lachlan." If Klaus was surprised at the hybrid reveal, he didn't show it, and Dean looked for it, he really did. Any sign that the Original vampire was not as bloodthirsty and careless as he seemed.

"Thank you for your services, hunter. So long then." Klaus waved his fingers in a mocking way before vamping out of the room.

Elijah, however, was more cordial. "Yes, Dean and Sam Winchester, your services are much appreciated, and they will not be forgotten. Take care." And with the last breath of his words, he too was gone.

A few awkward moments passed silently as Dean, Sam, and the remaining vampires waited for Stefan to wake up. When he did, he did so with a gasp, and Dean imagined it had been similar for him and his experience with Klaus.

"Everyone alive and in one piece then? Let's go. Personally, I'm just about done with supernatural creatures." Damon yanked his brother up before pulling him out of the room, Elena giving Dean and Caroline a glance before disappearing as well.

Dean sighed, rubbing a hand across his face, pinching his lips. "I guess we're done, Sammy. Let's go." And so he trudged towards the exit, slowly, his brother trailing behind.

Caroline caught up to him as they walked down the front steps, stopping him as Sam kept walking. "I just wanted to thank you, Dean." Her blue eyes glinted in the light of the moon. "Not just for trusting me, but for doing all of this. I'm immortal and strong and fast, but you're human. And some humans are weak." She paused before drawing her lips even with his. "But you are the strongest human I've ever met." And then she kissed him, bringing her lips into a gentle dance with his, just barely brushing his mouth before pulling away and walking off.

Dean watched her go, oddly struck by how accurate this image was. For people were always leaving him, even if it was for a moment, or a few years, or because they were dead. And he often had the opportunity to chase after them, but he didn't. Not because he was scared they wouldn't take him, but because he knew drawing even, walking in step, with the people he loved was what eventually brought them to their deaths.

()()()()()


	14. Chapter 14

**Author's Note: So this is the official end of this chapter in Dean and Caroline's life, and I want to thank you all. This has been great, and I hope you all enjoyed reading it as much as I liked writing it.**

**There will be an epilogue, probably much shorter than these chapters, but there will be a snapshot from somewhere down the road.**

**Once again, thank you all, and as always, enjoy!**

So that was it then. Just like that.

Caroline rolled onto her left side, away from Dean, refusing to let him see her eyes water. He had just told her that he was going to leave, he had to move on.

"Caroline, please." Dean stroked a bare arm down hers. "You knew this would happen eventually. I've got to find my dad. And you're a vampire."

Caroline rolled back over to face him, her messy hair flying across her face. "I thought that didn't matter to you!" They had made so much progress, she had thought, in this month that they'd known each other.

Dean shook his head, which wasn't easy for him to do propped up on his elbow, elbow in a plush pillow. "No, that's not what I mean, and you know it." Dean brushed a finger along her cheek. "Hey. You're a vampire. Which means you'll live forever. And I'm human, which means I won't."

"Winchester logic." Caroline muttered quietly, but she saw Dean's mouth curve up at the edge anyways.

Caroline pushed her hair out of her face and rolled onto her back out of Dean's reach, hair splayed behind her on her pillow. She had known this would happen eventually. Because he was right, she would live forever, and he wouldn't. She didn't even really consider the thought of him becoming a vampire for a moment, because she knew he wouldn't.

Dean had work to do as hunter, a lifestyle to live, and he was so broken. He had so little, his humanity was one of the last things he could truly claim as him own. And if he gave that up, he would have nothing. Caroline knew he wouldn't give it up for anyone, not her, not Sam.

"Think about it, Princess. I mean, there are two options besides this. One, I stay with you and live in a precious life until I die, or two, you come with me and stay with me until I die. And I can't do either. Because on one hand I'm abandoning my job, all the people I could help, and on the other hand, I'm putting you in danger." Caroline refused to look at Dean, still staring at the ceiling.

"Why would I be in any more danger than you? I'm a vampire."

Caroline finally glanced over at Dean, who had also rolled onto his back, and even from this angle, she could see the immense pain on his face. "You don't understand, Caroline. These creatures- they would do anything to get to me. Look what happened to Jess."

The blonde vampire didn't bother answering, just pulling the sheets closer to chin and closing her eyes. She didn't want to argue. Because the truth was that she didn't want to go with Dean, she didn't want to live his life. She couldn't imagine living motel to motel, covered in blood and killing things, and she knew in the same way Dean couldn't imagine living in a nice house, because the allure for the hunt would always be there.

Minutes passed, the two of them lying there, side by side, not touching. Because both of them knew that this would happen eventually, and just prolonging it would make it worse.

"Caroline?" Caroline's eyes were closed but she could still hear the nervousness in Dean's voice.

She just squeezed her eyelids tighter and bit her lip. "Can you just…can you just go?" She could hear the tremor in her voice, and she knew Dean did too, because she heard him stand and dress before silently slipping out of her room.

As soon as the door shut, she let out a long breath and opened her eyes, letting the tears she had been keeping prisoner there slide out down the sides of her face and into her hair. She didn't want to let Dean go. This was like Tyler all over again. Because even though Dean wasn't dead, he would be, whether it was from a hunt three years from now or from old age fifty years down the road.

"Caroline, love, we're having breakfast, are you planning to—" Caroline shut her eyes again as Klaus strode into the room, pausing when he saw her lying there.

"What's wrong, love?" Klaus vamped over to the side of the bed Dean had vacated, brushing a tear off of her cheek.

Caroline just shook her head as more waterworks came, silently. Klaus gave her space for a moment, until she flipped away from him. Then he didn't let her mourn any longer, vamping to the side of the bed she had flipped too, pulling her bare body up against his.

"Shhh. It's nothing I haven't seen before." Klaus brushed her hair gently and rested her head on his chest, and while Caroline wasn't sure if he meant her body or her heartbreak, she didn't care. Because she had forgotten how good of a friend Klaus had been, and she just wanted to sit there and let him rock her forever.

But even though they had forever, Klaus wouldn't let her spend time crying. After a few minutes of silent tears soaking his gray henley shirt, he pulled her away from him and looked her in the eyes. "So the little hunter is leaving?" Clearly Klaus had heard the discussion.

Caroline nodded, pressing a palm to her eyes in an effort to stem the flow of tears.

"I'm sorry, Caroline, I really am. I know how much he meant to you."

They sat there a while longer, Caroline pulling the sheets around her in a cocoon, Klaus eying her thoughtfully. Finally, he spoke when he noticed her eyes had dried considerably.

"But you don't need a pity party, because you're strong, Caroline. You know how I know that you're strong? How you're the strongest of any of us?" Klaus looked as though he was actually seeking an answer, so Caroline shook her head in confusion.

"Because you are the most human of us all." Klaus leaned closer to her, gathering her into his arms again, talking down to the top of her head like she was a little girl in her father's arms. "Because you kept your humanity on when you became a vampire. Because you let all the emotions in. And you kept those emotions when Tyler died, when Bonnie died. And when you came across a human that could kill you, you not only saved him, but you loved him. Even though you knew this day would come when he would leave. You allowed yourself to get hurt, because you knew you were strong enough to survive. And that is why you are the strongest of us all." Caroline closed her eyes, and Klaus kissed the top of her head, and when the pressure faded, so did he.

Caroline sat there in silence a moment, feeling the cold fall breeze coming through the slightly open window. She stood up and closed the window, before returning to her bed and pulling out her diary, propping her back against the head of her bed. And she flipped to the next empty page, dating the clear sheet.

Klaus was right. She was strong. So she uncapped a pen and wrote something that Theodore Roosevelt wrote when his wife and mother died. What she wrote when Tyler died. What she wrote when they had killed Bonnie.

_The light has gone out of my life._

Closing her diary, she climbed out of the bed and starting getting dressed, watching her pale skin in the mirror on the vanity. Because even though her words might have sounded dramatic, they were true. Dean might not be dead, but he would certainly be gone. She didn't expect to see him ever again.

After dressing, she picked up her makeup and brushed it onto her face almost automatically. Hadn't she been in this position only a month ago? Looking in the mirror, tired of what her lifestyle had driven her to? And she felt no better. She had come to New Orleans to see things she hadn't, and while she had been successful, she almost doubted whether it was worth it.

It was. She mentally slapped herself. Dean was worth it. The adventure was worth it. She had seen angels, for heaven's sake! Why would she regret it?

A tear threatened to ruin her mascara, so she angrily wiped it away and took a deep breath. "Caroline Forbes, you will not cry. You are strong." She stared at herself in the mirror for another few minutes before she had her tears under control.

Downstairs, the brilliant smell of a warm breakfast floated into Caroline's nostrils before she even walked into the dining room. In the dining room, everything appeared normal- Klaus was drinking blood (now openly) out of a glass, Sam was watching him in disgust, Elijah was sitting at the opposite end expressionless, Stefan was cutting some bread, Dean was carrying a skillet with an omelet to the table, Damon was balancing a plate of pancakes on his head, and Rebekah and Elena were carrying bacon, fruit, and oatmeal from the kitchen.

But not everything was normal. The Winchesters would leave after breakfast, and the company would go back to being a bunch of vampires who honestly probably wouldn't be having such extravagant breakfasts anymore. They had mostly been for Dean's benefit originally. And Caroline had grown to love the meals not for their content but what happened at them.

Without the meals, Elijah would have spent most of his time out or in his study, and Klaus probably would have done the same. Rebekah would have been snobby and sulking, and Elena and the Salvatores would have been busy blood-sharing and getting drunk. These meals had given Caroline a sort of family, something that she didn't want to miss.

"Are you going to sit, Caroline?" Rebekah drawled in her exquisite accent, rolling her eyes. Caroline glanced around and noticed everyone else was now seated, so she vamped into the seat next to Dean.

"So, uh, we heard that you two were leaving today." Stefan said awkwardly to the Winchesters, as he passed Elena the pancakes from Damon's head, not wanting to blatantly admit that—

"What he means is that we were listening to your conversation with Caroline." Damon smirked from across the table, stabbing a piece of bacon with unnecessary force and bringing it to his mouth.

Dean didn't look at Caroline, and just shoved a piece of bread in his mouth to avoid answering. Luckily, Sam answered anyways. "Yeah, we thought we need to go looking for our father. And the thing that killed our mother and Jess."

Klaus perked right up at that. Even though he rarely ate anything at these meals, he liked sitting at the head of the table and conveying his superiority while leaning lazily against his chair back (which strangely resembled a throne).

"And what would that be?"

Sam looked unnerved by the Original's interest in the situation, but reluctantly answered. "We don't really know. Our dad seems to have a trail on the thing, but we need to catch up to him if possible."

Klaus nodded slowly, leaning forwards. "Well, little hunter, I am indebted to you and your brother. While I could have survived even while trapped here, you have made my life much more pleasant." He leaned back again, draining his glass in one gulp, staining his lips and teeth red as he smiled at the younger Winchester. "Let me know if I can be of service."

"Right." Sam looked more than uncomfortable. "We'll let you know if we do." He glanced at Klaus' bloody teeth before quickly looking back to his food and shoving a piece of bread in his mouth.

After that interaction, Caroline almost forgot that they were leaving, almost forgetting her sadness and laughing. But she didn't.

The rest of the meal passed normally, and even though Dean awkwardly made sure not to touch her, Klaus continued to creep on Sam and ask him intrusive questions, Elijah and Rebekah continued to remain introverted, and Stefan occasionally offered a word in a heated discussion Elena and Damon were having about whether or not Sam looked like a moose.

Basically, Sam looked very unhappy and uncomfortable the entire meal, and when Klaus reached over a ran a hand through his hair, asking him what shampoo he used, Sam couldn't take it anymore, jumping out of his seat, grabbing his plate, and excusing himself with the intention of finishing up packing.

"Klaus!" Caroline chastised when Sam had left, although a smile was growing on her face. "Did you have to scare him like that? You sounded like a real creep."

Klaus raised an eyebrow and sat back, steepling his hands. "I just thought little Sam might not be comfortable around creatures out for blood, so I just wanted to assure him I was much more interested in his hair."

Caroline opened her mouth to argue further, but he had vanished, only leaving his empty cup behind.

The others started to stand and pick up their plates, but Caroline jumped up, hands outstretched. "Wait! I made pie!" And she vamped off, coming back with an apple and a mud pie.

"In the morning, Care?" Elena was skeptical.

"Just before the Winchester boys leave." She set down the pies, and vamped to the kitchen to come back with a knife.

The company sat back down with a sigh, and began serving themselves, Caroline noting that Damon took easily the largest slice.

When she had settled back into her seat with a slice of apple, she noticed that Dean was sitting there uncomfortably. "Are you going to have any, Dean?"

"No thanks. I'm not huge on pie." Dean looked at his empty plate, almost as uncomfortable as Sam had been.

Caroline was about to let it pass when she looked at him closer. She leaned back as she realized he probably hadn't ever had much pie. He had lived motel to motel all his life, scrounging whatever he could for his brother. He probably never had money or time to spend on a luxury like pie.

"Have you ever had pie, Dean?" Caroline twisted her entire torso to face him.

"I don't want any, thanks." Dean started to stand, but Caroline pulled him down, dragging a pie tin over to her and cutting him a slice, plopping it on his plate.

"You will have pie, Dean Winchester. Especially since I made it."

Dean looked at her skeptically, but picked up his fork with a sigh and slid it into the crust and apples. Caroline watched him almost too closely as he brought the forkful to his mouth, watched as his lips closed around the morsel, watched his eyes widen and betray how good he thought it was, though the rest of his face remained neutral.

"How is it?" She raised her eyebrows in what she thought was a hopeful expression.

"Yeah, it's fine." Dean said, casually forking more into his mouth. And while he said that, Caroline noticed he not only finished that slice but tried one of the mud pie too.

Caroline watched him wordlessly, her eyes starting to tear up again. It seemed that Dean had never had pie. He had never enjoyed luxuries like this, nice beds and houses like this. And she was sad that although she had given him a month to be almost normal, he had to return to his old lifestyle. That he had to go back to one-night flings with women, hunting things that wanted to kill him, putting his brother first.

"I should load the car." Dean put down his fork and stood. "But thanks. Really, thank you for having me, you've all been great."

"For vampires, you mean." Damon's eyebrow rose into its characteristically high position.

"No, I mean as people. You really have been great as people." Dean nodded, trying to convey his gratitude.

The company was silent as he went into the kitchen, but when he came back, it was surprisingly Rebekah who spoke first.

"I'm sorry for trying to feed on you the first night we met. And thanks for stopping the angels, really." She didn't seem to want to hang around though, because she vamped into the kitchen after that.

"I think I speak for all of us when I say thank you, Dean." Stefan stood and offered a hand, which Dean grabbed and shook.

"Yeah, thanks for not trying to kill us." Damon winked at the hunter.

"Thank you, Dean." Elena smiled. "Thank you, Dean Winchester." Elijah echoed her.

Dean looked awkward with all the attention and gratitude, so Caroline saved him by grabbing his arm and leading him towards the entrance. "You were going to load the car, remember?"

"Yeah, right." Dean didn't meet her eyes as he grabbed two bags by the door; Caroline grabbed the spare one and followed him outside, where Sam was stuffing another bag into the trunk of the Impala.

"Bye, Sam." Caroline said as she shoved the bag into the trunk next to him. Sam turned to her and stuck his hands in his jacket pockets before pulling one out to offer it to her, before just giving up and enclosing her in a hug.

"Bye, Caroline. Thanks for taking care of Dean. Take care of yourself, okay?"

Caroline nodded, and stepped back from him as he walked around to the passenger side of the Impala and slid into the seat, the seat that Caroline had sat in and watched Dean's profile surreptitiously.

"Well, I guess this is it, then?" Dean copied Sam's earlier actions of shoving his hands into his pockets after loading the last bags and closing the trunk.

"Yeah, I guess." Caroline didn't bother bridging the gap between them, the foot and a half that Dean had carefully left.

Neither of them made eye contact for another few minutes, each just awkwardly standing there and looking anywhere but at each other with the occasional throat clearing. Finally Caroline couldn't take it anymore and she stepped forwards, wrapping her arms around his torso.

"Goodbye, Dean. I'm going to miss you."

Dean reluctantly wrapped his arms around her as well. "Yeah, I'll miss you too."

Another silence ensued, and Caroline broke it again. "Look Dean, you have to promise me something. A few things, actually."

"Anything, Forbes." Dean looked into her face, confused.

"Don't wear the rings, Dean. I know Elena gave one to you and Sam, but don't wear it. Burn it, keep it, wear it on a necklace, but don't ever wear it on your finger. Wearing those and being killed too many times and coming back to life will drive you insane. We had friend, but… well, we don't have him anymore." Caroline looked up into his eyes, pleading with him to promise her that.

"Alright. I won't wear the ring. Sammy won't either. But I will keep it, if only to remind me of you." Caroline could see Dean was trying to make this easy, talking carelessly, but it could never be easy.

"No, that's good, Dean. But there's another thing." Caroline stepped back a bit so they weren't so close. The parting had begun. "You have to promise you'll come back if you need my help. Promise you'll find me if you need anything, anything at all, Dean."

And Dean nodded, but Caroline knew that there would be a million times in which he would break that promise. And he knew she knew. They both knew this was the last time they would ever see each other. Because Dean was proud, but more than that, he would never put Caroline at risk. He could never allow himself to depend on someone, to trust someone, because whomever he depended on would only get hurt.

Dean sighed. "You know I really love you, Caroline. Really love. There have been other women, but none of them were like you. You're strong, you're human, you're real. And if you and I were normal people, not a vampire and a hunter, I would be honored to spend the rest of my life with you." Caroline felt her eyes growing wet again, but she didn't try to stop them this time. This would be the last time she would care for Dean, and then she'd forget him.

"I love you too, Dean. And even the way we are, hunter and vampire, I would still spend my life with you, only I know it wouldn't make you happy. So I have to let you go." She closed her eyes as the tears escaped and ran down her cheeks.

"Goodbye, Forbes." Dean's voice was husky as he bent down and kissed her, a light brush against her mouth that was almost lost into the cold fall wind.

"Goodbye, Winchester." Caroline watched him as he started away from her, walking to his car, the she remembered the last promise she wanted him to make.

"Wait! Dean, there's one more thing!" Dean turned, not coming any closer, just standing four or five feet away, a distance that felt like an abyss to Caroline.

"You have to promise me one more thing, Dean. Promise me that you'll remember that not everything is good and evil. Promise that you'll remember not everything is black and white."

Dean just stared into her eyes for moment, his own slightly scrunched against the brightness of the morning. Then he nodded, a long slow nod, and slid into his car, revving the engine and starting down the long driveway.

And he didn't look back, even though Caroline halfheartedly waved, and that was how it should be. Because Dean couldn't afford to linger on her in his short life, and she couldn't afford to linger on him in her long one. And so she watched the Impala disappear around the bend, thinking that was that, that was the end. But really it wasn't. The story of the Winchester brothers was just beginning.

()()()()()


	15. Chapter 15

Epilogue

Supernatural: Episode 2x03: Bloodlust

Dean stared down into his drink. Sitting here with Gordon Walker, in this bar, was bringing up all sorts of memories for him. On one hand, recalling simpler times, times when his dad was still alive, when they all used to hunt as a family. On the other hand, the vampires in town- well he just couldn't help remembering Caroline.

It had been over a year since he had said goodbye, sliding into the Impala and driving away. He gently brushed a hand across his chest, feeling the lump underneath his shirt. Because even though Caroline had told him never to wear the ring again, he had strung it on a strand of string and had, since then, kept it tucked secretly underneath his shirt. Sam was maybe the only one who knew he wore it.

"Know why I love this life?" Gordon interrupted Dean's memories of a blonde vampire.

"Hmm?"

Gordon smiled, a kind of pained smile that reminded Dean of Klaus. "It's all black and white. There's no maybe. You find the bad thing, kill it. See, most people spend their lives in shades of gray. Is this right? Is that wrong? Not us." Gordon looked quite pleased with himself, and Dean wasn't really inclined to agree.

After all, there were supernatural creatures that hadn't hurt him. And one who had loved him. And one who had made him promise to never forget the exact opposite of what Gordon had said. But he wasn't going to say that to Gordon, who he was beginning to admire in a strange way. "Not sure Sammy would agree with you, but, uh…" He trailed off. He didn't really agree with Gordon either.

"Doesn't seem your brother's much like us." Dean blinked in surprise. Gordon saw his look and tried to amend his statement. "I'm not saying he's wrong. Just different. But you and me? We were born to do this. It's in our blood."

Is Sam wrong? Dean asked himself. Is he different? So maybe he's a bit more compassionate, so what? I learned to love a vampire. He looked down into his glass again, downing it in one swig. This whole question of black and white, of good and evil, was too philosophical for him right now.

* * *

"Wait, so you're saying… No man, no way. I don't know why they let you go. I don't really care. We find them, we waste them." Dean argued with his brother outside the motel room. Sam had just been returned by some vampires who claimed to only feed on animal blood.

Sam had brought up Caroline, as he knew he would, but Dean had shut him down. Just because one or seven vampires were okay did not mean they all were. And besides, Gordon had been hunting them forever, he knew this group. They had killed before.

"Why?" Sam looked confused, frustrated, and annoyed with his brother, as he did when Dean tended to be stubborn.

"What part of vampires don't you understand, Sam? If it's supernatural, we kill it, end of story. That's our job." Dean felt pained as he said those words, because they weren't always true. Sam didn't hesitate to point that out.

"No, Dean, that is not our job. Our job is hunting evil. And if these things aren't killing people, then they aren't evil!" Sam ran a hand through his hair. "Besides, if I remember correctly, you didn't kill Caroline. And I didn't either. Because she wasn't evil, Dean, and neither are these vampires."

Dean stroked the ring under his shirt. Maybe he should have killed Caroline. Maybe she was evil. _No. _A little voice in his head punched him mentally. _She wasn't, you know that. _He clenched his jaw. Just because Caroline wasn't didn't mean these vampires weren't evil, that they weren't killing people.

"Of course they're killing people, that's what they do. They're all the same, Sam. They're not human, okay? We have to exterminate every last one of them." But inside him his emotions were going haywire. Part of him, a small part, knew the only reason he wanted to kill these creatures was because Gordon said so. Because he was mad that his father had died. Because this was all too difficult, trying to figure if they were worth killing. It was much easier to assume everything was evil.

* * *

Although Dean was tired of Sam trying to make everything more complicated than it needed to be, he was a good kid, and a good hunter. With his memory they had found the nest of the vampires, and they had gone inside, to see Gordon with a bloody blade, the vampire Lenore tied up in a chair, bleeding.

"Sam, Dean. Come on in." Gordon's voice was cold and low, and it scared Dean.

"Hey, Gordon. What's going on?" Dean slowly walked into the room, mentally taking note of the position of everything.

"Just poisoning Lenore here with some dead man's blood. She's going to tell us where all her little friends are, aren't you?" Gordon looked down at the vampire in disdain. "Want to help?" He grinned savagely at the Winchester boys, an act that reminded Dean again of Klaus.

"Look man—" Dean started.

"Grab a knife." Gordon gestured to some blades embedded in the table. "I was just about to start in on the fingers." He leaned over Lenore, dragging the blade coated in dead man's blood across her arm.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, hey. Let's all just chill out, huh?" Dean raised his hand in front of him in what he hoped was an appeasing gesture. If Lenore was really not killing people, she deserved a chance.

Gordon looked up at Dean and cocked his head. "I'm completely chill."

"Gordon, put the knife down." Sam started forwards, but Dean put his arm out in front of his brother to stop him from going anywhere.

"Sounds like it's Sam here who needs to chill." Gordon raised his eyebrows.

"Just step away from her, alright?" Sam raised his hands to echo Dean's previous gesture.

Gordon looked at Sam thoughtfully for a moment. "You're right. I'm wasting my time here. This bitch will never talk. Might as well put her out of her misery." He walked over to the table and picked up a longer, larger blade. A machete. "I just sharpened it; so it's completely humane."

Dean was paralyzed, realizing what Gordon was about to do, but Sam wasn't. Sam slowly advanced around towards Gordon, hands still outstretched peacefully. "Gordon, I'm letting her go."

Gordon looked surprised, but pointed the machete at Sam's chest. "You aren't doing a damn thing."

Seeing the knife pointed at Sam brought Dean back to himself. "Hey, hey, hey, Gordon, let's talk about this."

Gordon shrugged. "What's there to talk about? It's like I said, Dean. No shades of gray."

But Dean knew he was wrong. Caroline had taught him otherwise. And in the next few minutes, as Gordon revealed his sister's fate, as he revealed his hatred for vampire, as cut Sam's arm and held it above Lenore's mouth, all Dean could think about was Caroline. How she had loved him, how she had trusted him with her life. How she had chosen him over a vampire she knew that first night at Twenty, how she had saved his life. How she had introduced him to pie, which was now maybe his favorite food in the world. How she had said goodbye.

Dean told Sam to take Lenore and go, keeping his gun that he had pulled out trained on Gordon. He wasn't going to let an innocent vampire die just because she was a vampire.

"Get out of my way." Gordon said after Sam and Lenore were gone.

"Sorry." Dean shrugged as if he was almost really sorry, but they both knew he wasn't.

"You're not serious." Gordon almost laughed.

"I'm having a hard time believing it too, but I know what I saw. If you want those vampires, you've gotta go through me." Dean sniffed. He wouldn't let this psycho kill Lenore or her friends. What if he went after Caroline?

Gordon looked at him, skeptically, before shoving his machete into the table. "Fine."

Dean unloaded the clip from his gun and set it on the table, before aiming a swing at Gordon. Gordon deflected it and swung his own punch, setting the two into a full on brawl. They wrestled for a while until Gordon managed to pin Dean.

"What are you doing, man? You doing this for a fang?" He chuckled. "Come on, Dean, we're on the same side here."

Dean wrinkled his nose and bared his teeth. "I don't think so, you sadistic bastard." He rolled Gordon over again, getting in a hit before Gordon tossed him across the room.

"You're not like your brother. You're a killer, like me." He advanced towards where he had thrown Dean, and Dean scrambled up, kicking him.

He wasn't like Gordon, he thought as he elbowed him in the face. He wouldn't kill his brother. He wouldn't kill an innocent supernatural creature. He hadn't. He deflected another punch from Gordon and swung him around, pinning his elbow before slamming his head into the wall, dazing him enough that he could sit him in a chair and tie him up.

"You know, I might be like you, and I might not. But you're the one tied up right now." He stepped back from Gordon, admiring the knots.

"And let me tell you something." Dean got close up in Gordon's face again. "I once met a vampire, a beautiful blonde woman. And I didn't know she was a vampire, and I fell in love with her. And even when I found out she was a vampire, I still loved her. Because she was good, Gordon. She was a good person. And it didn't matter that she was a vampire." Dean paused. "What matters is the person inside the creature. What matters is that not everything is black and white."

Dean pulled back, looking at the mad man in the chair, drowning in his hate for vampires because of what had happened to his sister. And he pitied him. And he was glad that he had met Caroline, that he had loved and trusted a supernatural creature. Because otherwise he would have ended up like Gordon, hating everything that crossed his path, and drowning in a kind of hate that nothing could erase. He would have been driven by a desire to kill, because only when killing would he have been able to feel a real emotion.

He smiled and chuckled, the kind that one does when they are looking back on memories, recounting how things could have been. And in the coming years, when he would hunt and kill, he would occasionally let himself slip to a better time, let himself remember. His father had made him promise to always remember the salt and silver bullets, but he never thought he would forget those. And in those days when he felt particularly confused, or angry, or any emotion he couldn't handle, he wouldn't remember the salt and silver bullets, but instead the certain blonde vampire who taught him that not everything was black and white.

()()()()()

**Thank you all again so much for reading and reviewing, and I hope you enjoyed it!**


End file.
